Biophysical Correlates of Cognition Among Depressed and Nondepressed Type 2 Diabetic Patients

  1. Virginia Elderkin-Thompson, PHD1,
  2. Gerhard Hellemann, PHD2,
  3. Rakesh K. Gupta, MD3 and
  4. Anand Kumar, MD1
  1. 1Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Geriatric Division, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
  2. 2Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Biostats Core, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California
  3. 3Sanjay Gandhi Institute of Post Graduate Medical Education and Research, Lucknow, India
  1. Corresponding author: Virginia Elderkin-Thompson, velderkin{at}mednet.ucla.edu

Abstract

OBJECTIVE—Caudate magnetization transfer (MT) ratios have indicated an abnormality in the macromolecular protein pool of diabetic patients. This study examined the relationship between MT ratios of the caudate and cognitive performance.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS—Diabetic patients, diabetic and depressed patients, and healthy comparison subjects completed magnetic resonance imaging and a neuropsychological battery. Magnetization transfer ratios of caudate and three comparison regions were computed. The neuropsychological battery was aggregated into a global index of cognitive function and correlated with MT ratios.

RESULTS—MT ratios of the caudate correlated with cognitive performance, and the correlations were stronger among diabetic patients than healthy control subjects. Comorbid depression increased the strength of the correlation compared with diabetes alone. Comparison regions showed no evidence of a diabetes effect on cognition.

CONCLUSIONS—One mechanism precipitating cognitive loss during diabetes appears to be associated with cellular changes occurring in the macromolecular protein pool of the caudate.

Footnotes

  • Published ahead of print at http://care.diabetesjournals.org on 3 October 2008.

    Readers may use this article as long as the work is properly cited, the use is educational and not for profit, and the work is not altered. See http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ for details.

    The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked “advertisement” in accordance with 18 U.S.C. Section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

    • Accepted September 19, 2008.
    • Received May 14, 2008.
« Previous | Next Article »Table of Contents

This Article

  1. Published online before print October 3, 2008, doi: 10.2337/dc08-0899 Diabetes Care January 2009 vol. 32 no. 1 48-50
  1. » Abstract
  2. Full Text
  3. Full Text (PDF)
  4. All Versions of this Article:
    1. dc08-0899v1
    2. 32/1/48 most recent

Current Issue

  1. December 2009, 32 (12)
  1. Current Issue
  1. Alert me to new issues of Diabetes Care