Brain insulin response and blood vessel health in people with diabetes
Studies brain insulin response and blood vessels in adults with diabetes using MRI.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Disentangling the Effect of Brain Insulin Resistance on Brain Health
Key facts
- Where
- Glostrup Municipality and Herlev, DenmarkSee the 2 sites
AI summary: who the study is looking for
From the trial's eligibility criteria. Machine-read from the registry text on this page, so it can be wrong. The registry text below and the trial team decide who can take part.
The trial is looking for adults aged 50-80 with type 1 or type 2 diabetes, and healthy adults of the same age as comparison. It studies how insulin resistance in the brain relates to brain health.
- Age
- 50 to 80 years
- Sex
- All sexes can join
- Disease stage
- Type 1 diabetes for at least 10 years, or type 2 diabetes for at least 5 years. Healthy controls without diabetes can also join.
- Earlier treatment
- Drugs that cannot be paused for 12 hours are not allowed.
Main reasons for not taking part
- Dementia, major stroke, traumatic brain injury, or major depression or antipsychotic treatment
- Active or recent (1 year) cancer
- HbA1c >100 mmol/mol (11.3%), other type of diabetes, or weight >140 Kg (309 lb)
- eGFR <45 within 3 months of the study visit
- Cannot have a brain MRI scan: metal in the body, severe claustrophobia, or does not wish to be told about accidental MRI findings
Read by machine on 9 November 2026.
Could this be for you?
Answer for yourself. This is not a decision: only the study team can say whether you can take part.
- Are you between 50 and 80 years old?
Source: NCT07374705, who can take part
Where in Denmark
- RigshospitaletGlostrup Municipality, DenmarkTaking people
- Steno Diabetes Center CopenhagenHerlev, DenmarkTaking people
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Contact the study team: see the registry record → Contacts and Locations
Print a page for my doctorTrial details
- Who runs it
- Henrik Bo Wiberg Larsson
- Trial code
- NCT07374705
- Record updated
- 25 February 2026
- Original description
People with diabetes are at increased risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. In addition, persons with diabetes have more pronounced age-related brain atrophy and cognitive difficulties compared to people without diabetes. The mechanisms behind the effects on the brain of diabetes are still unclear. New research suggests that the brains of some people with diabetes do not respond normally to insulin signals, a condition known as brain insulin resistance (BIR). To date, there have been no large clinical studies investigating BIR and its impact on brain health, but several smaller studies suggest that BIR may be a cause of cognitive decline and impaired brain health in people with diabetes. Another mechanism that may contribute to impaired brain health in people with diabetes is damage to the blood vessels in the brain. Damage to blood vessels is a well-known complication of diabetes, but how it affects the brain is not fully described. In this project, we will investigate the relationship between BIR and brain blood vessel dysfunction and its relationship to cognition and brain function. This is done by examining patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D), type 2 diabetes (T2D) and healthy controls. The participants will undergo MRI brain scans to assess the impact of BIR on the brain physiology and to evaluate brain blood vessel health. Participants will undergo comprehensive assessments of their cognitive abilities and thorough health examination.Read full original descriptionShow less
Disentangling the Effect of Brain Insulin Resistance on Brain Health (BIR-BrainHealth)
People with diabetes are at increased risk of developing dementia, including Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia. In addition, persons with diabetes have more pronounced age-related brain atrophy and cognitive difficulties compared to people without diabetes. The mechanisms behind the effects on the brain of diabetes are still unclear. New research suggests that the brains of some people with diabetes do not respond normally to insulin signals, a condition known as brain insulin resistance (BIR). To date, there have been no large clinical studies investigating BIR and its impact on brain health, but several smaller studies suggest that BIR may be a cause of cognitive decline and impaired brain health in people with diabetes. Another mechanism that may contribute to impaired brain health in people with diabetes is damage to the blood vessels in the brain. Damage to blood vessels is a well-known complication of diabetes, but how it affects the brain is not fully described. In this project, we will investigate the relationship between BIR and brain blood vessel dysfunction and its relationship to cognition and brain function. This is done by examining patients with type 1 diabetes (T1D), type 2 diabetes (T2D) and healthy controls. The participants will undergo MRI brain scans to assess the impact of BIR on the brain physiology and to evaluate brain blood vessel health. Participants will undergo comprehensive assessments of their cognitive abilities and thorough health examination.
Inclusion: age 50-80 years; Diagnosis of either type 1 diabetes or type 2 diabetes; Diabetes duration of ≥10 years for individuals with type 1 diabetes and ≥5 years for individuals with type 2 diabetes.
Exclusion: Treatment with drugs that cannot be paused for 12 hours; Major depression and/or treatment with antipsychotics; Foreign bodies of metal in the body which prohibits brain MRI scans (e.g. pacemaker or screws/plates from surgery in the head or neck region); Other type of diabetes; Diagnosis of dementia; Active and recent (1year) malignant disease; History of major stroke; History of traumatic brain injury; Other medical condition or disorder (e.g., epilepsy, recent concussion) that in the opinion of the investigator precludes compliance with the protocol, evaluation of the results or represent an unacceptable risk for the participant's safety; Inability to perform neuropsychological tests (e.g., severe vision and hearing impairment that cannot be improved with aids such as glasses and hearing aids, or language barrier.); HbA1c >100 mmol/mol; eGFR measurement <45 within 3 months of study visit; Weight >140 Kg; Severe claustrophobia; Participants who do not wish to be informed about accidental findings by MRI.