The following is a summary of “Altered Intrinsic Brain Activity Related to Neurologic and Motor Dysfunction in Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy Patients,” published in the April 2023 issue of Endocrinology & Metabolism by Xin, et al.
The impact of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) on brain function, specifically related to motor dysfunction, remained poorly understood in individuals with type 2 diabetes. For a study, researchers sought to investigate the intrinsic resting brain activity in individuals with DPN.
A total of 28 patients diagnosed with DPN, 43 patients with diabetes without DPN (NDPN), and 32 healthy controls (HCs) participated in the study and underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. Several measures of brain activity, including the amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), fractional ALFF (fALFF), and regional homogeneity (ReHo), were calculated. One-way analysis of covariance was conducted to compare these measures among the three groups. Additionally, the average ALFF/fALFF/ReHo values of brain regions showing alterations were correlated with the clinical features of the patients.
Compared to the NDPN group, the DPN group exhibited decreased ALFF values in the right orbital superior frontal gyrus (ORBsup) and medial superior frontal gyrus (SFGmed), as well as increased ALFF values in the left inferior temporal gyrus (ITG). Furthermore, the DPN group showed decreased fALFF values in the right SFGmed. In comparison to the healthy controls, the NDPN group demonstrated increased ALFF values in the right ORBsup, middle frontal gyrus, and left orbital middle frontal gyrus, while displaying decreased fALFF values in the right middle temporal gyrus. Notably, the average ALFF values of the right ORBsup were negatively correlated with Toronto Clinical Scoring System scores and gait speed in individuals with diabetes. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis indicated significant differentiation between the DPN and NDPN groups based on the average ALFF/fALFF values of the right SFGmed, as well as the average ALFF values of the left ITG and right ORBsup.
The findings of the study suggested that individuals with DPN exhibit abnormal intrinsic resting brain activity in areas associated with sensorimotor and cognitive functions. The findings provided insights into the potential neurophysiological mechanisms underlying DPN-related brain activity alterations.
Source: academic.oup.com/jcem/article-abstract/108/4/802/6803099?redirectedFrom=fulltext