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Research progress of magnetic resonance imaging on central nervous system lesions in diabetes mellitus
ZHAO Yashu  YU Yi  WANG Jiayi  YANG Yifan  SUN Jingru  LIU Meixi  YANG Ling  KE Xianjin 

Cite this article as: ZHAO Y S, YU Y, WANG J Y, et al. Research progress of magnetic resonance imaging on central nervous system lesions in diabetes mellitus[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2026, 17(4): 128-133. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.04.018.


[Abstract] Diabetic neuropathy is one of the common complications of diabetes mellitus, often involving the central nervous system, peripheral nervous system, or autonomic nervous system, and manifests as pathological changes in various neural tissues. With the aid of imaging techniques, the involvement of the central nervous system in affected patients can be thoroughly assessed. The development of MRI technology has enabled researchers to explore structural and functional abnormalities in the brains of diabetic patients from multiple perspectives. This article systematically reviews recent studies on central nervous system changes in diabetes based on structural MRI, functional MRI, and specialized magnetic resonance techniques. It provides a comprehensive overview of brain atrophy, cerebral small vessel disease, cognitive dysfunction, alterations in brain functional states, and diabetic stroke, with a focus on analyzing the correlation between these pathological changes and the progression of diabetes. The review summarizes the current research findings and limitations, offers new insights for future studies and clinical applications, and identifies directions for subsequent investigation.
[Keywords] diabetes mellitus；diabetic encephalopathy；lesions of the central nervous system；magnetic resonance imaging；brain function

ZHAO Yashu1   YU Yi2   WANG Jiayi3   YANG Yifan3   SUN Jingru3   LIU Meixi3   YANG Ling2   KE Xianjin4*  

1 Department of Pathology, School of medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China

2 Jiankang Road Community Health Service Center, Jingkou District, Zhenjiang 212000, China

3 School of Medicine, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China

4 Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212000, China

Corresponding author: KE X J, E-mail: kxj_kxj@163.com

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2025-07-21
Accepted  2026-03-09
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.04.018
Cite this article as: ZHAO Y S, YU Y, WANG J Y, et al. Research progress of magnetic resonance imaging on central nervous system lesions in diabetes mellitus[J]. Chin J Magn Reson Imaging, 2026, 17(4): 128-133. DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2026.04.018.

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