Structural and Functional Alterations of the Hippocampal Subfields in T2DM with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Insulin Resistance

Motivation: Insulin resistance (IR) is a common pathogenic mechanism for cognitive impairment and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but whether it acts independently in T2DM with mild cognitive impairment (T2DM-MCI) is unclear. Goal(s): To explore the relationship between functional and structural alterations of hippocampal subfields and IR in T2DM-MCI patients. Approach: Based on 3D-T1WI and rs-fMRI, we calculated structural and functional alterations of hippocampal subfields in patients with T2DM. Results: This study demonstrates that T2DM-MCI-higherIR group has more severe structural and functional impairments and IR has a main effect on the volume changes of specific hippocampal subfields. Impact: These findings support the important role of IR in T2DM-MCI patients and the structural and functional impairment on specific hippocampal subfield might be potential neuroimaging biomarkers for early identification of brain impairment in T2DM-MCI patients.