The topic in our Neurochemistry class this past week was Alzheimer’s Disease and how it is linked to Type II Diabetes Mellitus, T2DM. The science behind this link is that if there is either a decreased amount of insulin in the brain or if there is insulin resistance, individuals may develop a neurodegenerative disease, such as Alzheimer’s Disease. Alzheimer’s develops because insulin is essential for memory and learning.
My great-grandmother has struggled with Type II Diabetes for many years. Last year she sent me a birthday card five months after my birthday. My entire family laughed about it, but after learning about this link between T2DM and Alzheimer’s, I am wondering if perhaps she may be developing Alzheimer’s. My dad has also recently developed T2DM, and now I am even more concerned about his future health and the possibility of him eventually developing Alzheimer’s.
When insulin binds to its receptor it can have cognitive and metabolic effects within the brain. The cognitive effects include increased memory and learning, and increased neuronal plasticity. Metabolic effects include decreased food intake, and decreased hepatic glucose production. Alzheimer’s can develop when insulin’s signaling is disrupted. For example, when inflammation occurs insulin signaling is impaired. Although inflammation occurs naturally with age, the inflammation in the brains of individuals with Alzheimer’s is significantly more pronounced.
The most recent drug being developed to treat Alzheimer’s is an intranasal insulin spray called Detemir. This drug has been successful because it has been shown to improve memory in humans. Although this drug may help with symptoms of Alzheimer’s, there is still no cure for Alzheimer’s disease.
Another point to consider is that as a society we are living longer, so maybe Alzheimer’s is only appearing now because we are living longer. Through research, we may find a cure for Alzheimer’s in the future, but until that happens the most important thing we can be doing is educating others about Alzheimer’s and other diseases it is associated with.
References:
http://www.nature.com/npp/journal/v32/n1/full/1301193a.html
Alzheimer’s linked to Diabetes
