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INDIANAPOLIS — You’ve heard of Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, but did you know there is a third type of the disease?

Type 1 diabetes is something you are born with, an inability of your body to produce insulin which is essential in the breakdown of glucose which gives your body energy. Type 2 diabetes is something you develop, whether it be through obesity or other contributing health factors.

Type 3 diabetes is more specific to the brain.

“Scientists have discovered a similar mechanism of insulin resistance in people who do not have diabetes, but actually have developed some type of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Dr. Malaz Boustani, director of care intervention at Eskenazi Health, on WISH-TV.

He said it’s similar to Type 2 diabetes in that you are not born with it, rather it is something you can develop. He added that it only impacts the brain.

“So the brain is not able to use the glucose very well,” he said. “The mechanism maybe because it’s resisting the insulin.”

Boustani said the rest of your body could be processing glucose just fine, but the brain needs glucose to operate as well and without it, people can develop Type 3 diabetes and begin to have trouble with cognitive function.

Symptoms include memory loss, confusion, poor judgment, agitation, and anxiety as well as problems with reading, writing, and numbers.

Scientists are now testing whether insulin nasal spray can be an effective treatment for type 3 diabetes, and help prevent further cognitive decline.