Effects of Type 2 Diabetes on the Neuropsychological Profile in Mild Cognitive Impairment

Abstract

Background: Diabetes is one of the main risk factors for developing mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and Alzheimer’s disease. Most studies have demonstrated a worse performance in executive function, verbal fluency, and information processing speed in patients with diabetes. Objective: To assess the cognitive functioning of persons with type 2 diabetes and amnesic mild cognitive impairment (aMCI-T2DM) compared to persons with aMCI without diabetes and persons without diabetes or aMCI as controls, to understand the role of diabetes in the neuropsychological profile. Methods: Cross-sectional study involving a sample of 83 patients, ranging in age from 61 to 85 years and divided into three groups: aMCI-T2DM (27 patients), aMCI (29 patients), Controls (27 individuals). All the participants undertook an exhaustive neuropsychological assessment (auditory-verbal and visual memory, attention, information processing speed, language, executive function, and depression). Results: Both groups of aMCI patients performed significantly worse than the controls in all the neuropsychological tests. A significant linear tendency (p trend < 0.05) was found between groups, with the aMCI-T2DM group presenting worse results in global cognition assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination and Montreal Cognitive Assessment; Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test; Auditory Verbal Learning Test; Trail Making Test A and B, Verbal Fluency Test, and Hamilton Depression Rating Scale. Conclusions: aMCI patients with or without diabetes showed worse cognitive function compared to persons without diabetes or aMCI. Additionally, aMCI patients without T2DM presented a different cognitive profile than aMCI patients with T2DM, which tended towards presenting worse cognitive functions such as global cognition, memory, attention, executive function, and language.