Cognitive dysfunction in diabetes–the ‘forgotten’ diabetes complication : a narrative review
Sjöholm, Åke ; Bennet, Louise LU
and Nilsson, Peter M.
LU
(2025)
In Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care
p.1-7
- Abstract
Background: In addition to peripheral neuropathy of various kinds, diabetes can also cause central neuropathy, which among other things can manifest itself as premature cognitive dysfunction, often linked to vascular dysfunction. Although the link between diabetes and cognitive dysfunction was discovered more than 100 years ago and has important clinical implications, this diabetes complication remains relatively unknown. Recent years have seen research that has clarified cerebral insulin resistance and defective insulin signaling as examples of pathogenic factors behind this cognitive impairment in diabetes. Method: We provide a narrative review of select and contemporary publications with relevance for the interface between... (More)
Background: In addition to peripheral neuropathy of various kinds, diabetes can also cause central neuropathy, which among other things can manifest itself as premature cognitive dysfunction, often linked to vascular dysfunction. Although the link between diabetes and cognitive dysfunction was discovered more than 100 years ago and has important clinical implications, this diabetes complication remains relatively unknown. Recent years have seen research that has clarified cerebral insulin resistance and defective insulin signaling as examples of pathogenic factors behind this cognitive impairment in diabetes. Method: We provide a narrative review of select and contemporary publications with relevance for the interface between diabetes/prediabetes and cognitive function. Results: Recently published studies show that physical activity can reverse insulin resistance in the brain as well as cognitive impairment and pathological appetite regulation. Pharmacological interventions with, for example, nasal insulin, GLP-1 receptor agonists, SGLT-2 inhibitors, or PPAR-γ agonists have also shown promising results. Conclusion: Optimization of lifestyle factors (e.g. physical activity), as well as several pharmaceutical agents already in clinical use against diabetes, have shown promising results in improving cognitive function in diabetic patients. An important task for primary health care, where most patients with type 2 diabetes are diagnosed, treated, and followed, is to increase awareness and early detection of cognitive dysfunction in these patients for optimizing risk factor control.
(Less)
- author
- Sjöholm, Åke
; Bennet, Louise
LU
and Nilsson, Peter M.
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- epub
- subject
- keywords
- Antidiabetic drugs, cognition, dementia, diabetes, epidemiology
- in
- Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care
- pages
- 1 - 7
- publisher
- Informa Healthcare
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:39876043
- scopus:85216654560
- ISSN
- 0281-3432
- DOI
- 10.1080/02813432.2025.2455136
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.
- id
- cf991b4d-a13b-49a6-a9b6-f73b88eb12ee
- date added to LUP
- 2025-02-16 14:56:22
- date last changed
- 2025-07-07 02:23:24
@article{cf991b4d-a13b-49a6-a9b6-f73b88eb12ee,
abstract = {{<p>Background: In addition to peripheral neuropathy of various kinds, diabetes can also cause central neuropathy, which among other things can manifest itself as premature cognitive dysfunction, often linked to vascular dysfunction. Although the link between diabetes and cognitive dysfunction was discovered more than 100 years ago and has important clinical implications, this diabetes complication remains relatively unknown. Recent years have seen research that has clarified cerebral insulin resistance and defective insulin signaling as examples of pathogenic factors behind this cognitive impairment in diabetes. Method: We provide a narrative review of select and contemporary publications with relevance for the interface between diabetes/prediabetes and cognitive function. Results: Recently published studies show that physical activity can reverse insulin resistance in the brain as well as cognitive impairment and pathological appetite regulation. Pharmacological interventions with, for example, nasal insulin, GLP-1 receptor agonists, SGLT-2 inhibitors, or PPAR-γ agonists have also shown promising results. Conclusion: Optimization of lifestyle factors (e.g. physical activity), as well as several pharmaceutical agents already in clinical use against diabetes, have shown promising results in improving cognitive function in diabetic patients. An important task for primary health care, where most patients with type 2 diabetes are diagnosed, treated, and followed, is to increase awareness and early detection of cognitive dysfunction in these patients for optimizing risk factor control.</p>}},
author = {{Sjöholm, Åke and Bennet, Louise and Nilsson, Peter M.}},
issn = {{0281-3432}},
keywords = {{Antidiabetic drugs; cognition; dementia; diabetes; epidemiology}},
language = {{eng}},
pages = {{1--7}},
publisher = {{Informa Healthcare}},
series = {{Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care}},
title = {{Cognitive dysfunction in diabetes–the ‘forgotten’ diabetes complication : a narrative review}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02813432.2025.2455136}},
doi = {{10.1080/02813432.2025.2455136}},
year = {{2025}},
}