A Blood Test to Understand Memory Changes in Diabetes
Official title: Plasma-Based Neuronal Insulin Signaling Exosomes as a Biomarker for Cognitive Impairment in Diabetes
Funded at Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute · NIH-11175378 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project explores how a blood test might help us understand and predict memory changes in older adults living with diabetes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R21 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | September 1, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $138,065 |
| NIH project number | 5R21AG081689-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11175378 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for future related studies would be older adults living with diabetes who are experiencing or are at risk for cognitive impairment.
✕Less likely to help
Patients without diabetes or those not experiencing cognitive concerns related to diabetes may not directly benefit from this specific research.
What this research studies
Many older adults with diabetes experience memory and thinking problems, and we want to understand why this happens. We believe that how the brain uses insulin, called neuronal insulin signaling, plays a crucial role in brain health and memory. This project will examine tiny particles in your blood, called exosomes, which carry important information about your brain's insulin signaling. By studying these signals, we hope to discover if changes in brain insulin use can predict future memory decline in people with diabetes, potentially leading to new ways to protect brain function.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to a new blood test that helps identify individuals with diabetes at risk for memory decline, allowing for earlier intervention.
How similar studies have gone: This approach explores a promising but understudied mechanism linking diabetes and cognitive decline, suggesting it is a novel area of focus.
Where this research is happening
-
Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sabayan, Behnam — Hennepin Healthcare Research Institute
- Study coordinator: Sabayan, Behnam
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.