Objective The present study was to clarify the improving effect of artemisinin on diabetes-induced cognitive deficit and the underlying mechanisms in mice. Methods Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) mouse models were established by a single dose of STZ injection (100 mg/kg, i.p.). Those animals were then treated with vehicle or artemisinin (40 mg/kg, i.p.) once daily for 4 weeks. Cognitive performances of the mice were evaluated by novel object recognition, Y maze test and Morris water maze test. After behavioral tests, the expressions of PI3K, Akt, SYN and PSD-95 proteins in the hippocampus were...