Brain insulin resistance in Alzheimer's disease and related disorders: mechanisms and therapeutic approaches

Insulin is a peptide secreted by the pancreas and plays an important role in the regulation of glucose metabolism in peripheral tissues. Although the role of insulin in the periphery is well understood, less is known about its multifactorial role in the brain. However, emerging evidence from human and animal studies indicate that insulin influences cerebral bioenergetics, enhances synaptic viability and dendritic spine formation, and increases turnover of neurotransmitters, such as dopamine. Insulin also has a role in proteostasis, influencing clearance of the amyloid beta peptide and phosphorylation of tau, which are hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease. Insulin also modulates vascular function through effects on vasoreactivity, lipid metabolism, and inflammation. Through these multiple pathways, insulin dysregulation could contribute to neurodegeneration. Thus, new approaches to restore cerebral insulin function that could offer therapeutic benefit to adults with Alzheimer's disease, vascular cognitive impairment, or related disorders are being investigated.