Category: Parkinson’s Disease: Clinical Trials
Objective: To evaluating the effect of intranasal insulin administration on motor and non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease patients; a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial
Background:
Parkinson disease (PD), the second common neurodegenerative diseases, is characterized by motor deficits accompanied with cognitive and mood disorders. Insulin plays an important role in several functions of central nervous system, and its signaling pathways are impaired in the brain of PD patients.
Method: Therefore, in the present randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled study, we evaluated the effects of intranasal administration of insulin (40 IU) or saline, twice a day for 12 weeks, on motor performance, cognitive functions, fatigue severity, anxiety and depression in patients with PD. Twenty two patients completed the study (N=13 in insulin group, N=9 in placebo group). Primary and secondary outcomes were evaluated by modified Hoehn and Yahr scale (HY), Movement Disorder Society-sponsored Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (MDS-UPDRS), Tinetti balance assessment, scales for outcomes in PD-cognition (SCOPA-COG), Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA), fatigue severity scale (FSS), Beck anxiety inventory (BAI) and Beck depression inventory II (BDI-II) questionnaires, at baseline, and after 4, 8 and 12 weeks of treatments.
Results: Insulin treatment improved SCOPA-COG (33.04 ± 5.48 vs. 29.88 ± 6.11, mean ±SD) and MoCA (26.62 ± 3.62 vs. 24.84 ± 4.79, mean ±SD) scores compared to the placebo group (p<0.05). However, insulin treatment had no effect on motor performance, fatigue severity, anxiety and depression. In addition, no adverse effect and hypoglycemic episodes were observed during 12 weeks of treatment.
Conclusion: These findings propose intranasal insulin as a promising treatment to attenuate memory and cognitive dysfunctions in the patients with PD.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
M. Salari, N. Valian, L. Mohaghegh Shalmani, R. Rashedi, H. Ashourizadeh, L. Dargahi. The effect of intranasal insulin administration on motor and non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease patients; a randomized double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial [abstract]. Mov Disord. 2023; 38 (suppl 1). https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-effect-of-intranasal-insulin-administration-on-motor-and-non-motor-symptoms-in-parkinsons-disease-patients-a-randomized-double-blinded-placebo-controlled-clinical-trial/. Accessed June 15, 2025.« Back to 2023 International Congress
MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/the-effect-of-intranasal-insulin-administration-on-motor-and-non-motor-symptoms-in-parkinsons-disease-patients-a-randomized-double-blinded-placebo-controlled-clinical-trial/