``Our goal and our vision is to transform how we monitor and manage diabetes. Instead of waiting for complications to develop, we really want to shift to prevention.``
Watch the full interview with Dr Cindy Shin-Yi Lin below.
Project Summary:
Diabetes affects more than blood sugar, damaging both nerves and the brain and creating complications beyond metabolism. Many people with long-term diabetes experience burning pain, numbness, and balance difficulties in their hands and feet. Emerging evidence shows diabetes increases the risk of cognitive decline and dementia, with affected individuals up to 1.9 times more likely to develop conditions such as Alzheimer’s, sometimes called ‘Type 3 diabetes.’ Despite this, the link between nerve damage, pain, and cognitive problems remains poorly understood, and clinicians often lack access to specialized clinics for evaluating both nerve and cognitive health.
This project will investigate people with diabetes using multi-modal approaches to better understand sensory symptoms, pain processing, and cognitive function, particularly memory and thinking skills. By identifying early sensory signs that predict cognitive impairment, we aim to understand how nerve damage contributes to brain decline and to identify at-risk patients sooner. Early detection enables timely interventions to protect nerves and brain, preventing serious complications such as falls, severe cognitive decline, or amputations.
The study uses specialized neurophysiology techniques with commercially available equipment and existing clinical expertise. The research team has contributed to consensus guidelines and demonstrated these techniques in practice. Ultimately, this project will empower endocrinologists to implement early neuroprotection strategies, shifting diabetes care from reactive to prevention-focused and giving patients better physical and cognitive health, improved quality of life, and reduced long-term complications.
The Brain Foundation is dedicated to funding the next generation of Australian research into brain disorders, diseases, and injuries, with the ultimate goal of advancing diagnoses, treatments, and patient outcomes.