Older women with typediabetes have different patterns of blood use in
their brains
Pattern relates to sensory motor problems in hands, feet

Date:
September 8, 2020
Source:
University of Houston
Summary:
A researcher is reporting that the brains of older women with Type
2 diabetes do not use as much oxygenated blood as those who don't
have the disease. The research is the first to point to changes in
blood use in the brain as the primary reason for diabetes-related
deficits in motor function.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
A University of Houston researcher is reporting that the brains of older
women with Type 2 diabetes do not use as much oxygenated blood as those
who don't have the disease. The research is the first to point to changes
in blood use in the brain as the primary reason for diabetes-related
deficits in motor function. It also furthers the understanding of sensory
and motor symptoms as a precursor to developing dementia and Alzheimer's diseases, both of which are linked to diabetes.


========================================================================== "It's a pretty significant finding. Typically, when someone presents
with a sensory or motor issue along with Type 2 diabetes mellitus,
the assumption is that it's the result of peripheral nerve damage in
the hands and feet," said Stacey Gorniak, associate professor in the UH Department of Health and Human Performance and director of the Center
for Neuromotor and Biomechanics Research. Gorniak published her findings
in the journal Neurophotonics.

Until now there has been no assumption that something is going on with
respect to brain function that is affecting sensory and motor functions
in persons living with Type 2 diabetes.

"Emerging evidence has suggested that factors outside of nerve damage
due to Type 2 diabetes mellitus, such as impaired cortical blood use, contribute significantly to both sensory and motor deficits in people
with diabetes," reports Gorniak.

Nearly 24% of the 40 million people in the United States over the age of
60 live with Type 2 diabetes. Problems with hands, fingers and feet are
common side effects of the disease and can lead to a loss of independent
living and decline in quality of life.

Gorniak's testing method is unique. Rather than using a typical MRI
to monitor the use of oxygenated blood, she opted to use a technique
called functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). The fNIRS is a
method that delivers infrared light into the scalp to measure use of
both oxygenated and unoxygenated blood use by the brain. This technique
differs from MRI as MRI cannot measure oxygenated blood use. The fNIRS
method can be used on persons who cannot have an MRI.

She tested a group of 42 post-menopausal women, over 60, half of whom
had Type 2 diabetes, and asked them to perform various exercises with
their hands. She chose this group because they are generally at the
highest risk for diabetes, heart disease and dementia.

"Our work demonstrates that motor changes in people with diabetes occur independent of sensory impairment and that these changes are unrelated to disease duration and severity. Our data point towards other factors such
as changes in muscle and reduced function of the cortex as underlying mechanisms for problems in sensory and motor functions," Gorniak reports.

Her findings, she said, opens research possibilities for other groups
of people with the disease, in hopes of finding a way to therapeutically
avoid the negative health effects of diabetes.

"We need to see what this looks like in a larger population, including
men, and then we can start developing treatments or different ways
we could potentially stop these negative impacts of Type 2 diabetes,"
said Gorniak.


========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Houston. Original
written by Laurie Fickman. Note: Content may be edited for style and
length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Stacey L. Gorniak, Victoria E. Wagner, Kelly Vaughn, Jonathan Perry,
Lauren Gulley Cox, Arturo E. Hernandez, Luca Pollonini. Functional
neuroimaging of sensorimotor cortices in postmenopausal women
with type II diabetes. Neurophotonics, 2020; 7 (03) DOI:
10.1117/1.NPh.7.3.035007 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/09/200908131132.htm

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