People with type 2 diabetes often experience sensory and motor deficits. These deficits have been attributed to peripheral nerve damage that commonly occurs with the condition. Findings from a new study suggest that changes in brain blood use contribute to sensory and motor deficits associated with type 2 diabetes.

Poor blood glucose control and insulin resistance – the hallmarks of type 2 diabetes – contribute to micro- and macrovascular changes in blood vessels. These changes promote a wide range of complications that affect multiple organ systems, including cardiovascular, neurological, and musculoskeletal systems, contributing to sensory and motor deficits. Postmenopausal women appear to be at greater risk of these complications.

The study involved 42 postmenopausal women over the age of 60 years who had type 2 diabetes. The authors of the study measured the participants' blood pressure, cholesterol, and HbA1C levels (a measure of long-term blood glucose control) and assessed the women for peripheral nerve damage. The participants underwent testing to evaluate the strength and tactile sensation in their dominant hand. Then they performed a series of exercises with the same hand while undergoing functional near-infrared spectroscopy, a type of imaging technology, to assess oxygenated and unoxygenated blood use by the brain

The spectroscopy data revealed that the women with motor deficits exhibited reduced oxygenated blood use in their brains. Sensory deficits were not associated with these changes, however. These data suggest that motor deficits associated with type 2 diabetes in postmenopausal women are related to altered blood use in the brain. Further research in men and other age groups is needed to confirm these findings.

• Link to full study.