The results demonstrate that this type 2 diabetes animal model exhibits severe cognitive deficits, anxiety-like emotional behavior, degeneration of the basal forebrain cholinergic complexes, and down-regulation of Akt signaling and VEGF/PDGF systems in the brain and that CTS is capable of attenuating these behavioral and neurobiological deficits. The gene discussed is VEGFA; the disease is type 2 diabetes mellitus.