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Glucose indices are associated with cognitive and structural brain measures in young adults
Weinstein G, Maillard P, Himali JJ, Beiser AS, Au R, Wolf PA, Seshadri S, DeCarli C.. Neurology, 2015-05-06
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Objective To evaluate the possible early consequences of impaired glucose metabolism on the brain by assessing the relationship of diabetes, fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, and insulin resistance with cognitive performance and brain integrity in healthy young and middle-aged adults. Methods The sample included dementia-free participants (mean age 40 ± 9 years; 53% women) of the Framingham Heart Study third-generation cohort with cognitive testing of memory, abstract reasoning, visual perception, attention, and executive function (n = 2,126). In addition, brain MRI examination (n = 1,597) was used to determine white matter, gray matter, and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volumes and fractional anisotropy measures.
Key findings
- Methods The sample included dementia-free participants (mean age 40 ± 9 years; 53% women) of the Framingham Heart Study third-generation cohort with cognitive testing of memory, abstract reasoning, visual perception, attention, and executive function (n = 2,126).
- In addition, brain MRI examination (n = 1,597) was used to determine white matter, gray matter, and white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volumes and fractional anisotropy measures.
- We used linear regression models to assess relationships between diabetes, FBG, and insulin resistance with cognition, lobar gray matter, and WMH volumes as well as voxel-based microstructural white matter integrity and gray matter density, adjusting for potential confounders.
- Mediating effect of brain lesions on the association of diabetes with cognitive performance was also tested.
Why it matters
This study looked at whether blood sugar and insulin resistance relate to thinking and brain structure in healthy young and middle-aged adults without dementia. It does not test any treatment or prevention, so it cannot show whether managing blood sugar would change dementia risk.
Study details
- Participants2,126
- Evidence strengthModerate
How this study scored 57/100
Published in a leading specialty journal. Scored zero for study design, effect reported and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 9 / 10 | Tier 2 — leading specialty journal (Neurology) |
| Journal's citation record | 4 / 4 | Neurology: journal h-index 525 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 3 / 5 | Rated “moderate” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2015 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 3 / 4 | 2,126 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 149 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 11.5 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 10.4× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 6 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 38 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 4 / 4 | Last-listed author Charles S DeCarli: h-index 150 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Boston University: institution h-index 1,456 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25948725) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 57 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 8 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Weinstein, G., Maillard, P., Himali, J. J., Beiser, A. S., Au, R., Wolf, P. A., et al. (2015). Glucose indices are associated with cognitive and structural brain measures in young adults. Neurology. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000001655
Vancouver
Weinstein G, Maillard P, Himali JJ, Beiser AS, Au R, Wolf PA, et al. Glucose indices are associated with cognitive and structural brain measures in young adults. Neurology. 2015. doi:10.1212/wnl.0000000000001655. PMID: 25948725.
BibTeX
@article{weinstein2015-25948725,
author = {Weinstein, G. and Maillard, P. and Himali, J. J. and Beiser, A. S. and Au, R. and Wolf, P. A. and Seshadri, S. and DeCarli, C.},
title = {{Glucose indices are associated with cognitive and structural brain measures in young adults}},
journal = {Neurology},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.1212/wnl.0000000000001655},
pmid = {25948725},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000001655}
}
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