It is known that diabetes causes many medical problems, from heart disease to vision problems, and now a new study suggests that it could also affect memory and other cognitive functions.
After observing brain activity and behavior in rodent models, researchers from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) determined that type 2 diabetes can “wire” the brain similarly to early starting Alzheimer’s disease.
“Diabetes can be altering the brain in a similar way to the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease,” said the principal researcher and Psychology professor of UNLV James Hyman in the statement.
The risk of diabetes was reduced by eating a surprisingly sweet food, the study suggests
“More research is needed, but these findings have the potential to help researchers unlock clues to improve diagnostic or treatment strategies for the disease.”
Diabetes has been shown to impact memory and other cognitive functions. (Istock)
The study was funded by the National Health Institutes and published in the Journal of Neuroscience.
Previous studies have shown that people with type 2 diabetes have a greater risk of developing neurodegenerative disorders.
“Diabetes can be altering the brain similar to the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease.”
The reason, the researchers raised the hypothesis, is that high blood sugar levels can affect the anterior cingulated cortex (ACC), a part of the brain that is involved in cognitive and emotional functions, according to a UNLV press release.
The ACC is linked to key cognitive processes such as motivation, decision making, objective monitoring, pleasure search, rewards processing and regulation of emotions, according to researchers.
In people with diabetes, high blood sugar determines signs of hippocampus reward (the part of the brain that controls memory and learning) to ACC.
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“The rewards, or the achievement of objectives, are important to help us make future decisions, so if our brains are responding differently, our future decisions are likely to be different,” Hyman told Fox News Digital.
“This has great implications for those who handle their type 2 diabetes, since the fulfillment of tests and changes in lifestyle are key aspects.”
The researchers determined that type 2 diabetes can “wire” the brain similar to Alzheimer’s disease early. (Istock)
This could also explain why it is so difficult for many people to continue with new diets and exercise regimes, Hyman said, because their brains do not respond to normally rewarding events due to the disease.
“This knowledge can help people persevere and remain diligent, since their failures are not due to personal weakness, but altered the physiology of the brain,” he said.
“This type of research opens new roads not only for Alzheimer’s patients, but also for other diseases that affect the brain.”
Dr. Adam Scioli, Medical Director of Caron Centers de Caron in Pennsylvania, said it is known that the brain rewards system helps to print memory.
“It makes sense that any substance, such as sugar, which impacts and overwhelms that the rewards system can have a lasting impact on cognitive and work memory,” said Scioli, who did not participate in the study, Fox News Digital.
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The concept of reward and memory in type 2 diabetes has some similarities with addiction, according to the expert.
“Both conditions also imply altered hippocampus-ACC connectivity, which affects the behavior and processing of objective-oriented memory,” he said.
High levels of blood sugar can affect the anterior cingulated cortex, a part of the brain that is involved in cognitive and emotional functions, according to the study. (Istock)
“This type of research opens new roads not only for Alzheimer’s patients, but also for other diseases that affect the brain,” Scioli added.
“It also provides a path in which we could intervene before these diseases and prevent or mitigate cognitive deterioration.”
More research is needed
There were some limitations for the study, the researchers recognized.
“This was a study in rodents, so translation into human conditions is a challenge,” Hyman told Fox News Digital.
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“In addition, we only model an aspect of type 2 diabetes, chronic hyperglycemia, and in humans there are more symptoms than that. It is possible that these other aspects have different, compound or relieved impacts,”.
Hyman’s team plans to carry out more research on the connection between diabetes and brain function.
“Be a patient and understand that the disease has requested your brain again.”
“Alzheimer’s disease was not detected for decades because our brains are good to find ways to compensate,” he said.
“Before diagnosis, people behave normally despite having changes in information processing. We even observe it in this study.”
According to these findings, researchers recommend that people monitor their own blood glucose levels. (Istock)
According to these findings, Hyman expects people to be more likely to monitor their own blood glucose levels.
“If you are diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, be sure to closely follow doctors’ orders and keep blood glucose levels stable,” he advised. “We believe that it is extremely low and high blood glucose peaks that make people more vulnerable to Alzheimer’s.”
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For those who have problems with lifestyle changes, Hyman urged “not being so hard with yourself.”
“Be a patient and understand that the disease has requested your brain again.”
