Social Cognition in Individuals with Multiple Sclerosis and Co-morbid Diabetes: The Role of Metformin and the Biomarker Monoacylglycerol Lipase

Abstract

Multiple sclerosis (MS) can be associated with social cognition deficits. Metformin, a drug used to treat type II diabetes mellitus (DMII) improves social cognition in mice by repressing monoacylglycerol lipase (MgII) in the brain. Social cognition was compared in people with MS (PwMS) and comorbid DMII who are and who are not treated with metformin. We recruited 22 individuals with MS and DMII, and 17 matched healthy controls to establish baseline levels of the outcome measures. Differences were assessed in social cognitive outcomes and MgII levels between metformin and nonmetformin, and healthy control groups. Mgll levels were lowest in the metformin group, although differences were not statistically significant. There were no social cognition differences between the metformin and nonmetformin groups, but the MS group overall performed worse than controls on certain social cognition domains. Implications of these results are reported, with suggestions for future social cognition and MS investigations.