Poor Sleep Quality Linked to Decreased Brain Gray Matter Density in Adults with Type 2 Diabetes.

BACKGROUND

Poor sleep is common in adults with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), which may contribute to brain tissue changes. However, the impact of sleep quality on brain tissue in T2DM individuals is unclear. We aimed to evaluate differential sleep quality with brain changes, and brain tissue integrity in T2DM patients.

METHODS

Data were collected from 34 patients with T2DM and included sleep quality (assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [PSQI], and high-resolution T1-weighted brain images using a 3.0-Tesla MRI scanner. Gray matter density (GMD) maps were compared between subjects with good vs poor sleep quality as assessed by PSQI (covariates: age, sex, BMI).

RESULTS

Of 34 T2DM patients, 17 showed poor sleep quality. Multiple brain sites, including the hippocampus, cerebellum, prefrontal, amygdala, thalamus, hypothalamus, insula, cingulate, and temporal areas, showed reduced gray matter in T2DM patients with poor sleep quality over patients with good sleep quality. Negative associations emerged between PSQI scores and gray matter density in multiple areas.

CONCLUSIONS

T2DM patients with poor sleep quality show brain tissue changes in sites involved in sleep regulation. Findings indicate that improving sleep may help mitigate brain tissue damage, and thus, improve brain function in T2DM patients.