Role of Mitochondria in Neurodegeneration in Obesity and Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract In developed and developing countries, the adoption of high calorie diets and a sedentary lifestyle have been major contributors in the inflating number of obese and/or type 2 diabetic (T2D) individuals. In spite of the strong will to promote and increase the awareness of the importance of an active healthy life and aging, the current obesity and T2D epidemics across the world show no signs of dwindling. This comes with severe consequences, including an increased likelihood for people to suffer from cognitive deficits and neurodegenerative maladies. In this framework, as research progresses, it is becoming clear that mitochondrial anomalies are inextricably implicated in glucose metabolism and insulin action (deficiency and/or resistance) abnormalities that characterize T2D and obesity, and associated complications. In this chapter, we address how obesity and T2D are capable of disrupting nervous system homeostasis. Also, we highlight how obesity and T2D-related alterations in mitochondrial function can impair neuronal and brain function, increasing the risk of neurodegenerative events. Special focus will be given to peripheral diabetic neuropathy and to two major neurodegenerative illnesses, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases.