Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, heart and brain function

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Assessment of heart and brain function in people with type 2 diabetes and cognitive impairment

• IRAS ID

  188246

• Contact name

  Iain Wilkinson

• Contact email

  i.d.wilkinson@sheffield.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Sheffield Teaching Hospitals

• Duration of Study in the UK

  2 years, 0 months, 1 days

• Research summary

  Decline in cognitive function is associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but there are no studies describing whether the cognitive abnormalities in T2DM are associated with particular patterns of either structural disease or blood flow parameters to both the heart and brain. As brain blood flow is driven by heart output, this study aims to be the first to explore the relationship between heart structure and output and brain vascular function via magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in patients with cognitive impairment and T2DM.

  The aim of this project is to describe the pattern of cognitive dysfunction in T2DM and identify whether there is a link between mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and heart parameters using MRI. MRI will be used to quantify aspects of heart and brain anatomical configuration, function and metabolic status.

  The subject cohort will comprise four groups:

  A. 30 participants with T2DM who are diagnosed with MCI
  B. 30 participants with T2DM who do not have a diagnosis of MCI
  C. 30 participants with MCI but no diagnosis of T2DM
  D. 30 participants - healthy volunteers

  Participants will be matched for age, gender and duration of diabetes.

  Participants will be assessed clinically via medical history, examination, neuropsychological testing, autonomic teasting, blood tests and questionnaires. They will then undertake MRI assessments of heart and brain function.

  MRI data will be used to obtain images and measurements of heart and brain structure, output and flow. This data will be collected, analysed and compared between the four groups to identify differences.

  In summary, this study will be the first to explore the structural blood flow differences in the heart and brain between T2DM subjects with and without MCI. The study will aim to help to identify the underlying disease process and if identified, this could aid new therapies.

• REC name

  Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  16/YH/0041

• Date of REC Opinion

  24 Feb 2016

• REC opinion

  Unfavourable Opinion