[Diabetic encephalopathy: current insights and potential therapeutic strategies]

To study the effect of alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) on cognitive functions in patients with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus type 2 (DM-2) and thick fiber polyneuropathy.

The MoCA test was used to assess cognitive functions, and vibrometry («Somedic» vibrometer) was used to assess the function of thick fibers. Patients in group 1 (n=37) received alpha lipoic acid (ALA) in a dose of 600 mg per day for 16 weeks, patients in group 2 (n=41) started taking ALA 8 weeks after the start of the study.

Comparison of both groups showed an increase in the indicators of the MoCA test in group 1 after 8 weeks (p=0.0025) with a further plateau and an improvement in vibration sensitivity after 16 weeks (p=0.023). The improvement in the MoCA test in group 2 also began after 8 weeks.

The authors recommend ALA in polyneuropathy as a drug that also has a positive effect on cognitive functions in DM-2 and dipyridamole for the treatment of patients with diabetic encephalopathy and cerebral small vessels disease and stroke.