Diabetes

Focus Areas of Research

  • Diabetes peripheral sensorimotor neuropathy
  • Autonomic neuropathy
  • Central neuropathy
  • Neuroinflammation in diabetes 
  • Randomized clinical trial: Treatment of diabetic neuropathy with liraglutide

The worldwide prevalence of diabetes mellitus is increasing, and thus the incidence of both micro and macrovascular complications of diabetes mirrors this. Diabetes sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy is a well-known complication to diabetes, and the diagnosis is relatively straightforward. Amongst the complications with the highest symptom burden, yet frequently under-diagnosed and sub-optimally treated, is diabetic autonomic neuropathy, itself potentially resulting cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy and dysmotility in the gastrointestinal tract.

In Mech-Sense we work with multifaceted approaches to characterise the underlying pathophysiological processes that culminate in diabetic neuropathy, neuro-inflammation per se, and the various techniques employed to investigate the peripheral, central, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal sequelae.

Responsible Researcher

Professor Christina Brock, DMV, PhD

Selected Publications

  1. Farmer AD, Pedersen AG, Brock B, Jakobsen PE, Karmisholt J, Mohammed SD, Scott SM, Drewes AM, Brock C. Type 1 diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy have pan-enteric prolongation of gastrointestinal transit times and an altered caecal pH profile. Diabetologia. 2017
  2. Frøkjær JB, Graversen C, Brock C, Khodayari-Rostamabad A, Olesen SS, Hansen TM, Søfteland E, Simrén M, Drewes AM. Integrity of central nervous function in diabetes mellitus assessed by resting state EEG frequency analysis and source localization. J Diabetes Complications. 2016
  3. Brock C, Brock B, Pedersen AG, Drewes AM, Jessen N, Farmer AD. Assessment of the cardiovascular and gastrointestinal autonomic complications of diabetes.World J Diabetes. 2016
  4. Niesters M, Proto PL, Aarts L, Sarton EY, Drewes AM, Dahan A. Tapentadol potentiates descending pain inhibition in chronic pain patients with diabetic polyneuropathy. Br J Anaesth. 2014 Jul;
  5. Søfteland E, Brock C, Frøkjær JB, Simrén M, Drewes AM, Dimcevski G. Rectal sensitivity in diabetes patients with symptoms of gastroparesis. J Diabetes Res. 2014
  6. Brock C, Søfteland E, Gunterberg V, Frøkjær JB, Lelic D, Brock B, Dimcevski G, Gregersen H, Simrén M, Drewes AM. Diabetic autonomic neuropathy affects symptom generation and brain-gut axis. Diabetes Care. 2013
  7. Lelic D, Brock C, Søfteland E, Frøkjær JB, Andresen T, Simrén M, Drewes AM. Brain networks encoding rectal sensation in type 1 diabetes. Neuroscience. 2013
  8. Brock C, Graversen C, Frøkjaer JB, Søfteland E, Valeriani M, Drewes AM. Peripheral and central nervous contribution to gastrointestinal symptoms in diabetic patients with autonomic neuropathy. Eur J Pain. 2013
  9. Frøkjær JB, Andersen LW, Brock C, Simrén M, Ljungberg M, Søfteland E, Dimcevski G, Yavarian Y, Gregersen H, Drewes AM. Altered brain microstructure assessed by diffusion tensor imaging in patients with diabetes and gastrointestinal symptoms. Diabetes Care. 2013
  10. Frøkjaer JB, Brock C, Brun J, Simren M, Dimcevski G, Funch-Jensen P, Drewes AM, Gregersen H. Esophageal distension parameters as potential biomarkers of impaired gastrointestinal function in diabetes patients. Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2012