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Review
. 2025 Jun 11:18:1333-1345.
doi: 10.2147/PRBM.S524823. eCollection 2025.

Underexplored Connections Between Diabetes, Hypomanic States and Insecure Attachment

Diana Bogdanova  1 , Michael Maes  2   3   4   5   6   7   8 , Drozdstoj Stoyanov  6   7   8
Affiliations
Review

Underexplored Connections Between Diabetes, Hypomanic States and Insecure Attachment

Diana Bogdanova et al. Psychol Res Behav Manag. .

Abstract

Diabetes, dopamine, attachment style disorders, and hypomania share complex interrelations involving neuroinflammation, dysfunction in brain networks (DMN, CEN, SAL), and emotional regulation. Both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes induce cognitive and structural changes in the brain through mechanisms such as hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, and chronic inflammation. These processes can affect the dopaminergic system, which plays a pivotal role in motivation, emotional regulation, and the manifestation of hypomania. Dopamine is directly linked to attachment styles, with disturbances in this system increasing vulnerability to emotional disorders, including bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Hypomania, a hallmark of the bipolar spectrum, is associated with dopaminergic imbalances, often observed in diabetes.

Keywords: attachment style; bipolar disorder; diabetes – type 1 and type 2; dopamine; hypomania; mania.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest with any commercial or other association in connection with the submitted article.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Functional connectivity between SAL, DMN and CEN. Salience Network (SAL) - highlighted in blue, includes the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), bilateral anterior insula (AINS), bilateral rostral prefrontal cortex (RPFC), and bilateral supramarginal gyrus (SMG). Default Mode Network (DMN) - highlighted in red, includes the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), bilateral lateral parietal cortex (LP), and precuneus cortex (PCC). Cognitive Control Network (CEN) - highlighted in yellow, includes the bilateral lateral prefrontal cortex (LPFC) and bilateral.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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