Exercise and Intranasal Insulin in Type 2 Diabetes
About 6.5 million adults in the United States who are 65 or older have dementia.
While the exact cause of dementia is not known, it may be due to changes in the brain. Further, risk may be higher when the brain does not respond to insulin. Indeed, brain insulin resistance has emerged as a pathologic factor affecting memory, executive function as well as systemic glucose control. Regular aerobic exercise may help reduce the risk of dementia by increased blood flow to the brain and help the brain respond better to…
ClinicalTrials.gov IDNCT07675499
PhasePHASE2, PHASE3
Enrollment60
SponsorRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
Type 2 Diabetes, Insulin Sensitivity/Resistance, Cognition, Brain Blood Flow
About this study
About 6.5 million adults in the United States who are 65 or older have dementia.
While the exact cause of dementia is not known, it may be due to changes in the brain. Further, risk may be higher when the brain does not respond to insulin. Indeed, brain insulin resistance has emerged as a pathologic factor affecting memory, executive function as well as systemic glucose control. Regular aerobic exercise may help reduce the risk of dementia by increased blood flow to the brain and help the brain respond better to insulin. In addition, giving insulin through a nose spray (called intranasal insulin) may also help with thinking and memory. However, it is unknown if using both exercise and intranasal insulin is best for the brain.
Interventions
Drug: Intranasal Insulin — Dosage will be 20 IU of INI twice per day (40 IU in total/day). The study will use the Kurve Technology intranasal device, which delivers a 20 second stream of insulin through a nose piece into a nostril, after which the device switches off. The process will then be repeated in the other nostril.
Drug: Intranasal Placebo — Saline will be administered twice daily (20 seconds in each nostril) using the Kurve Technology intranasal insulin device.
Behavioral: High Intensity Exercise — High intensity exercise will consist of 16 weeks of walking at \~85% of each participant's predetermined VO2max and monitored via heart rate. Supervised exercised will occur on a treadmill 3d/wk. The duration of each exercise session will be adjusted based on fitness level so that \~300 kcal will be expended per training session during weeks 1-2, 350 kcal per training session during weeks 3-4, and 400 kcal per training session during weeks 5-16. This usually equals \~60 minutes per session but can vary from person to person. Each session will start with a 5-minute warm-up and end with a 5-minute cool down. During each exercise session, individuals will wear a heart rate monitor rating of perceived exertion will be recorded.
Primary outcomes
Cerebrovascular Insulin Sensitivity (Change from baseline to the end of the intervention at 16 weeks)
Eligibility information
Inclusion Criteria:
* Male or female 55-80 years old
* Type 2 diabetes diagnosis or confirmation HbA1c \>6.5% and fasting glucose \>126 mg/dl
* Individuals prescribed metformin, GLP-1 agonists (oral/injectable), TZDs, DPP-IV inhibitors, Acarbose, SGLT-2 inhibitors \>6 months.
* MOCA ≥26
* Body mass index (BMI) ≥25 and ≤40 kg/m2
* Not diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes
* Not currently engaged in \<90 min/wk of exercise
Exclusion Criteria:
* A diagnosis of dementia
* Neurologic disease (e.g. Parkinson's, autonomic neuropathy, etc.)
* Intolerance to insulin
* Morbidly obese patients (BMI \>40 kg/m2) and lean patients (BMI \<25 kg/m2)
* \>2 kg weight change in past 6 months
* Participants who have been recently active (\>90 min of moderate/high intensity exercise)
* Individuals who are smokers or who have quit smoking (\<2 years)
* Hypertriglyceridemia (400 mg/dl) and hypercholesterolemic (\>260 mg/dl) subjects
* Uncontrolled Hypertensive (\>160/100 mmHg)
* Participants with a history of significant metabolic, cardiac, cerebrovascular, hematological, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, liver, renal, or endocrine disease or cancer that in the investigator's opinion would interfere with or alter the outcome measures, or impact subject safety
* Pregnant (as evidenced by positive pregnancy test) or nursing women
* Participants with contraindications to participation in an exercise training program
* Major psychiatric disorders (e.g. psychosis, bipolar disorder, major depression, alcohol/substance abuse)
* History of head trauma or loss of consciousness in last 5 years.
* Known contraindications for MR imaging:
* History of head trauma or neurosurgery, or neurological disorder (other than headaches or peripheral nerve disease) as these may impact neuroimaging results.
* Ferrous material implanted in or on the body, including flakes or filings, surgical clips, bullets, or electrical devices such as a pacemaker, or nonremovable ferrous jewelry (fillings in teeth and permanent retainers are permitted).
* Fillings and permanent retainers do not provide a safety risk and are not general exclusions. However, upper retainers may cause artifacts in ventral frontal regions and therefore may be an exclusion for some studies.
* Individuals with surgical pins or plates above the neck are excluded. Surgical pins or plates below the neck are exclusions, except when the material is fixed to bone, and considered acceptable by the Reference Manual for Magnetic Resonance Safety. Implants and Devices, 2020 Edition. Almost all recent orthopedic implants are made of materials that are not ferromagnetic and therefore are safe for scanning, and even though some screws are still made of ferromagnetic materials these are firmly screwed into bone. In cases where the material is unknown or deemed unsafe for scanning by the Reference Manual for Magnetic Resonance Safety. Implants and Devices the participant will be excluded.
* History of eye injury involving metallic materials, shavings in eyes, or welding without a face mask
* Lead/iron tattoos
* Claustrophobia (history of significant anxiety in closed places).
* Back problem that would prevent the subject from laying still comfortably for up to 90 minutes.
* Deafness
Study locations
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Clinical Research Center, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08091 United States
Institute for Food, Nutrition, and Health, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901 United States
Rutgers University Loree Gymnasium, New Brunswick, New Jersey 08901 United States
Center for Advanced Human Brain Imaging Research, Piscataway, New Jersey 08854 United States
Before you participate: Varda Clinical is an independent discovery tool, not the study sponsor or a medical provider. Eligibility can only be determined by the official study team. Discuss potential risks and benefits with a qualified healthcare professional.
Source: ClinicalTrials.gov. Record last refreshed by Varda Clinical: 2026-10-26.