What is it about?
Antipsychotics (APs) are a class of medications primarily used to treat schizophrenia. Unfortunately, APs have been associated with serious side effects, including weight gain and type 2 diabetes (T2D). Such disturbances have also been correlated with poorer cognitive function. The underlying causes of these side effects are largely unknown, but the concept of reduced sensitivity to insulin in the brain has been proposed to explain the link between cognitive and metabolic disorders. In this study, we will examine if intranasal insulin causes changes in various brain processes compared to intranasal placebo, which has no active ingredient. Second, we will investigate whether a small dose of olanzapine inhibits intranasal insulin associated changes in brain functioning and cognitive outcomes. This work aims to shed light on the mechanisms behind metabolic adverse effects of AP drugs, and has the potential to initiate new streams of work in an area of significant unmet need, potentially leading to new therapeutic strategies.
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Why is it important?
This work aims to shed light on the mechanisms behind metabolic adverse effects of AP drugs, and has the potential to initiate new streams of work in an area of significant unmet need, potentially leading to new therapeutic strategies.
Perspectives
The effect of antipsychotics on central insulin sensing is a novel area of investigation as the brain was long considered an insulin-insensitive organ. We are only now beginning to learn about insulin’s effects on brain functioning. For instance, central insulin action is known to play an important role in several physiological processes, including glucose homeostasis, appetite regulation and cognitive functioning. Given these roles, brain insulin resistance is believed to be a unifying link between cognitive and metabolic disorders.
Mahavir Agarwal
Centre for Addiction and Mental Health
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Investigating the effects of antipsychotics on brain insulin action: Study protocol for a multi-modality magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study in healthy controls, PLoS ONE, November 2022, PLOS,
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0277211.
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