Diabetes and the brain
Scientists have determined how the work of the brain changes in diabetes mellitus
SibSMU researchers studied the effect of diabetes mellitus on cognitive brain functions using MRI. According to them, the technique has shown its effectiveness and can already be introduced into clinical practice today. The results of the study are published in the journal of Neuroscience and Behavioral Physiology (Samoilova et al., Brain Tractography in Diabetes Mellitus and Cognitive Impediments).
Scientists of the Siberian State Medical University (SibSMU) have used "tractography" for their research — a non-invasive method of studying nerve pathways in the brain using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). In their opinion, this method will help doctors to get a visual picture of the state of various areas of the patients' brain and monitor the changes taking place in them in a timely manner.
Researchers have found that with the help of tractography, it is possible to effectively observe the changes that occur in patients with diabetes mellitus of different types with the progression of the disease, and this method is already available today for implementation in a wide medical practice.
"We were able to evaluate the fundamental mechanisms of changes in the white matter of the brain in diabetes mellitus and their role in the formation of cognitive impairment. We have established that changes in sugar and cholesterol content affect the integrity of the brain pathways, and the presence of complications is a worsening circumstance in type 1 diabetes, and in type 2 diabetes — the age of the patient," said Professor, head of the Clinical Research Center of SibSMU Yulia Samoilova.
Scientists note that there are currently no analogues to the proposed method: it is impossible to assess the subtle architecture of the brain in other methods in life. At the same time, diagnostics using tractography does not require large expenses, only an MRI machine is required for its implementation.
The authors of the study have developed a neural network model for predicting cognitive impairment in diabetes mellitus, which is currently being tested. Further introduction of the development into general clinical practice, according to the authors, opens up prospects for objective diagnosis of cognitive impairment not only in diabetes mellitus, but also in other metabolic diseases.
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