Abstract :
Glucose is an important metabolic substrate for all cells, including brain cells. However, homeostatic degradation of glucose due to increased glucose levels affect cerebral functions directly or indirectly. Formation of the advanced glycation end-products and of free radicals as a result of an increase in brain glucose affect the brain indirectly, whereas, the long-term changes at the level of neuronal genes affect the brain directly. All these changes cause many disorders such as neuronopathy, encephalopathy and dementia. Both the indirect pathways that affect the cerebral functions, and the direct neuronal pathways must be identified so that therapeutic strategies can be implemented accordingly inorder to prevent brain injury.
