Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 1, 2025

Osmotic Minipump Implantation for Increasing Glucose Concentration in Mouse Cerebrospinal Fluid
Published on: April 7, 2023
Brain insulin resistance and Alzheimer's disease: a systematic review
Luis Jesuino de Oliveira Andrade1, Luís Matos de Oliveira2, Alcina Maria Vinhaes Bittencourt3
1Universidade do Estado de Santa Cruz, Department of Health, Ilhéus BA, Brazil.
Abstract:
The disability of cells to react to insulin, causing glucose intolerance and hyperglycemia, is referred to as insulin resistance. This clinical condition, which has been well-researched in organs such as adipose tissue, muscle, and liver, has been linked to neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease (AD) when it occurs in the brain.
Objective:
The authors aimed to gather data from the current literature on brain insulin resistance (BIR) and its likely repercussions on neurodegenerative disorders, more specifically AD, through a systematic review.
Methods:
A comprehensive search was conducted in multiple medical databases, including the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, EMBASE, Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (Medline), and PubMed®, employing the descriptors: "insulin resistance", "brain insulin resistance", "Alzheimer's disease", "neurodegeneration", and "cognition". The authors focused their search on English-language studies published between 2000 and 2023 that investigated the influence of BIR on neurodegenerative disorders or offered insights into BIR's underlying mechanisms. Seventeen studies that met the inclusion criteria were selected.
Results:
The results indicate that BIR is a phenomenon observed in a variety of neurodegenerative disorders, including AD. Studies suggest that impaired glucose utilization and uptake, reduced adenosine triphosphate (ATP) production, and synaptic plasticity changes caused by BIR are linked to cognitive problems. However, conflicting results were observed regarding the association between AD and BIR, with some studies suggesting no association.
Conclusion:
Based on the evaluated studies, it can be concluded that the association between AD and BIR remains inconclusive, and additional research is needed to elucidate this relationship.
More Related Videos
08:32Studying the Hypothalamic Insulin Signal to Peripheral Glucose Intolerance with a Continuous Drug Infusion System into the Mouse Brain
Published on: January 4, 2018
08:13Study of In Vivo Glucose Metabolism in High-fat Diet-fed Mice Using Oral Glucose Tolerance Test OGTT and Insulin Tolerance Test ITT
Published on: January 7, 2018
Related Concept Videos
Alzheimer's Disease: Overview
The clinical diagnosis of AD hinges on the presence of memory and other cognitive impairments. Biomarkers, such as changes in Aβ...
Psychoneuroimmunology: Diabetes and Cancer
Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, and individuals with...
Alzheimer's Disease: Treatment
Glucose Homeostasis: Pancreatic Islets and Insulin Secretion
Insulin and C-peptide are...
Oral Hypoglycemic Agents: Biguanides and Glitazones