Enhancement of Cerebral Vasoreactivity and Cognition by Intranasal Insulin in Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a major risk factor for vascular dementia. DM alters insulin transport across blood-brain barrier affecting perfusion and neuronal function. Intranasal administration enables effective delivery of insulin to the brain. Clinical studies demonstrated improvement of cognitive function and memory in healthy and cognitively impaired people.

Aim 1: To determine the acute effects of a single 40-IU dose of intranasal insulin vs. placebo on regional perfusion and vasoreactivity to CO2 challenge measured by 3-D continuous arterial spin labeling (CASL) MRI at 3 Tesla in the control and diabetic groups. We will use transcranial Doppler to determine the effects on intranasal insulin vs. placebo on cerebral autoregulation based on measurements of beat-to-beat pressure flow velocity relationship.

Aim 2: To determine whether intranasal insulin improves cognitive functioning in older T2DM patients as compared with placebo and the control group.

This translational study will address an important area about the effects of intranasal insulin on cerebral blood flow regulation and cognition in older diabetics that has not been studied. Intranasal insulin administration may provide a novel therapeutic target for prevention and treatment of microvascular disease and cerebrovascular complications of T2DM. If successful, this approach may have significant impact on the clinical management of large population of older adults with T2DM.