Cognition and motion dysfunction-associated brain functional network disruption in diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Systems Biology

Background:

• Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is associated with cognitive and motor impairments.
• Diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) in T2DM patients suggests underlying brain functional alterations.
• Large-scale brain network disruptions may underlie DPN and related dysfunctions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate topological disruptions in brain functional networks in T2DM patients with and without DPN.
• To examine correlations between altered network metrics and cognitive/motor functions.
• To understand the neurophysiological mechanisms of DPN in T2DM.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional connectivity (FC) analysis.
• Graph theory computational approaches.
• Comparison of DPN, T2DM without DPN (NDPN), and healthy controls (HCs).

Main Results:

• NDPN showed increased global integration (decreased shortest path length) compared to HCs.
• DPN and NDPN exhibited distinct regional topological reorganization of functional hubs.
• DPN had decreased nodal efficiency in specific brain regions (e.g., SOG, MTG, IPL) compared to NDPN.
• Altered nodal efficiency correlated with cognitive (MoCA) and clinical (TCS) scores in T2DM patients.

Conclusions:

• DPN and NDPN patients exhibit segregated disruptions in brain functional networks.
• These disruptions are linked to cognitive and motor impairments in T2DM.
• Findings provide a basis for understanding DPN's neurophysiology and guiding T2DM treatment.