A novel morphometric signature of brain alterations in type 2 diabetes: Patterns of changed cortical gyrification

• Published in: The European journal of neuroscience 2021-09, Vol.54 (6), p.6322-6333
• Main Authors: Crisóstomo, Joana, Duarte, João V., Moreno, Carolina, Gomes, Leonor, Castelo‐Branco, Miguel
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Brain; Cerebral Cortex - diagnostic imaging; Chronic illnesses; Clinical and Translational Neuroscience; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus (non-insulin dependent); Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - diagnostic imaging; Environmental factors; Gray Matter - diagnostic imaging; gyrification; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; morphometry; Research Report; sensory cortex; Substantia alba; Substantia grisea; type 2 diabetes
• ISSN: 0953-816X; 1460-9568; 1460-9568
• DOI: 10.1111/ejn.15424

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease that creates atrophic signatures in the brain, including decreases of total and regional volume of grey matter, white matter and cortical thickness. However, there is a lack of studies assessing cortical gyrification in type 2 diabetes. Changes in this emerging feature have been associated mainly with genetic legacy, but environmental factors may also play a role. Here, we investigated alterations of the gyrification index and classical morphometric measures in type 2 diabetes, a late acquired disease with complex aetiology with both underlying genetic and more preponderant environmental factors. In this cross‐sectional study, we analysed brain anatomical magnetic resonance images of 86 participants with type 2 diabetes and 40 healthy control participants, to investigate structural alterations in type 2 diabetes, including whole‐brain volumetric measures, local alterations of grey matter volume, cortical thickness and the gyrification index. We found concordant significant decrements in total and regional grey matter volume, and cortical thickness. Surprisingly, the cortical gyrification index was found to be mainly increased and mainly located in cortical sensory areas in type 2 diabetes. Moreover, alterations in gyrification correlated with clinical data, suggesting an influence of metabolic profile in alterations of gyrification in type 2 diabetes. Further studies should address causal influences of genetic and/or environmental factors in patterns of cortical gyrification in type 2 diabetes. Morphometric analysis revealed an atrophic diabetic brain, showing decrements of total and regional grey matter volume, white matter volume and cortical thickness. Our study showed alterations in a novel morphometric measure in type 2 diabetes, the cortical gyrification. Local gyrification showed to be mainly increased, and changes were mainly located in sensory regions and correlated with metabolic profile.