India launches global study to explore diabetes' impact on brain health - Video

An international collaboration has been launched to explore how diabetes impacts brain health and contributes to cognitive decline, dementia, and Alzheimer’s disease—marking the first major initiative of its kind in India.

The Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (MDRF), Chennai, has partnered with the Centre for Brain Research (CBR) at IISc, Bengaluru, and the UK Dementia Research Institute (UK DRI) for this multidisciplinary study. Researchers will integrate clinical, imaging, genomic, and proteomic data to identify pathways connecting diabetes with cognitive impairment and early brain ageing, the New Indian Express reported.

Dr. V Mohan, Chairman of MDRF, highlighted that dementia appears to occur earlier and progress more rapidly in individuals with diabetes, who are twice as likely as non-diabetics to develop the condition. The study aims to find new biochemical markers, detectable 10–20 years before overt symptoms, and to determine if diabetes control can slow brain changes. The collaboration will leverage global expertise, with CBR’s focus on neurodegeneration and UK DRI’s leadership in dementia research, to drive early detection, prevention, and new therapies for those at risk of diabetes-related cognitive decline.