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Updated: Feb 10, 2026
A Zebrafish Model of Diabetes Mellitus and Metabolic Memory
Published on: February 28, 2013
Applicability of diagnostic constructs for cognitive impairment in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus
Onno N Groeneveld1, Esther van den Berg2, Guy E H M Rutten3
1University Medical Center Utrecht, Brain Center Rudolf Magnus, Department of Neurology, PO Box 85500, 3508 GA Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Aims:
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with subtle cognitive changes, but also with more severe stages of cognitive dysfunction, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia. For these severe stages, it is uncertain which domains are primarily affected and if all patients with impairment are captured by formal criteria for MCI or dementia.
Methods:
Ninety-five patients with T2DM suspected of cognitive impairment, identified through screening in primary care, underwent neuropsychological examination assessing five different domains. MCI or dementia were diagnosed using formal criteria.
Results:
Forty-seven participants (49%) had impairment on at least one domain, most often involving memory (30%), information processing speed (22%) and visuoperception and construction (22%). Of these 47 people, 29 (62%) had multi-domain impairment. Of the 47 participants with objective impairment, 36 (77%) met criteria for MCI, three (6%) for dementia and eight (17%) met neither diagnosis, mostly because these patients did not complain about acquired dysfunction.
Conclusions:
This study shows that the clinical diagnostic evaluation of cognitive impairment in patients with T2DM should take into account that multiple domains can be affected and that not all patients with objective cognitive impairment fulfill criteria for MCI or dementia.
Insights
Cognitive impairment is common in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), often affecting multiple domains like memory and processing speed. Many patients with objective impairment do not meet formal criteria for mild cognitive impairment or dementia.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Endocrinology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is linked to cognitive changes, ranging from subtle deficits to severe impairment like mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia.
- The specific cognitive domains affected in severe T2DM-related impairment and diagnostic capture by MCI/dementia criteria remain unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the prevalence and patterns of cognitive impairment in patients with T2DM.
- To determine if formal diagnostic criteria for MCI or dementia adequately capture all individuals with objective cognitive deficits in this population.
Main Methods:
- Ninety-five T2DM patients with suspected cognitive impairment underwent comprehensive neuropsychological testing across five domains.
- Cognitive impairment, MCI, and dementia were diagnosed using established clinical criteria.
Main Results:
- Nearly half (49%) of participants exhibited impairment in at least one cognitive domain, frequently memory, processing speed, or visuoperception.
- A majority of impaired participants (62%) showed multi-domain deficits.
- While 77% met MCI criteria and 6% met dementia criteria, 17% had objective impairment but did not meet formal diagnostic thresholds, often due to lack of subjective complaints.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive impairment in T2DM frequently involves multiple domains and may not always align with formal MCI or dementia diagnoses.
- Clinical assessment should consider the breadth of cognitive deficits and the limitations of current diagnostic criteria in T2DM patients.
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