Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate cerebral cortical thickness alterations in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and their association with mild cognitive impairment (MCI).Thirty T2DM patients without MCI, 30 T2DM patients with MCI, and 30 healthy controls were recruited. All subjects underwent high-resolution sagittal T1-weighted structural imaging using a 3-dimensional magnetization prepared rapid acquisition gradient echo (MPRAGE) sequence. The cortical thicknesses of the whole brain of the 3 groups were analyzed and compared using analysis of variance (ANOVA) test. Partial correlations between the cortical thicknesses of each brain region and standard laboratory testing data were analyzed for the T2DM without MCI group. The associations between cortical thicknesses and neuropsychological scale scores were also analyzed in the T2DM with MCI group.Compared with the healthy controls, the T2DM without MCI group showed statistically significant reduction in the cortical thickness of the left posterior cingulate gyrus, right isthmus cingulate gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, paracentral lobule, and transverse temporal gyrus. No significant correlation was found between the standard laboratory testing data and the cortical thicknesses of these cerebral regions. Compared with the T2DM without MCI group, the cortical thickness alterations in the T2DM with MCI group were bidirectional. Increased cortical thickness was found in the left parahippocampal gyrus and the right isthmus cingulate gyrus. Decreased cortical thickness was observed in the left pars triangularis and the right pars opercularis. Significant correlations were found between the cortical thickness of the right pars opercularis and the Complex Figure Test-delayed recall scores (r = 0.464, ρ = 0.015), Trail Making Test A consuming time (r = −0.454, ρ = 0.017), and Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores (r = 0.51, ρ = 0.007).T2DM could influence the gray matter of several brain regions. The cortical thickness reduction of the right pars opercularis may be a biomarker of cognitive impairment and play an important role in its pathophysiological mechanism.
Highlights
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a common metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance and hyperglycemia
The cortical thickness reduction of the right pars opercularis may be a biomarker of cognitive impairment and play an important role in its pathophysiological mechanism
There were no significant differences in standard laboratory tests between type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) without mild cognitive impairment (MCI) group and T2DM with MCI group
Summary
Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a common metabolic disorder characterized by insulin resistance and hyperglycemia. Insulin resistance and hyperglycemia often impair cognitive functions and significantly increase the risk of dementia.[1,2]. 10.8% to 17.5% of T2DM patients can develop cognitive dysfunction,[3,4,5] from mild cognitive impairment (MCI) to dementia.[6] Dementia is irreversible, which will cause a long-term decrease in the ability to learn, think, and remember and greatly affects the daily functions of the patient. All authors have seen the manuscript and approved to submit to your journal. A Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University (Army Medical University), Chongqing, b Department of Internal Medicine, The Second Outpatient Department of Chengdu Army Region Authority, Chengdu, c School of Foreign Languages and Cultures, Chongqing University, Chongqing, China
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