Study Examines Effects of Diabetes on Cognitive Function of Children

Researchers from China’s Central South University recently studied cognitive function in children living with type 1 diabetes. They conducted a literature review of 19 studies, which included 1,355 children with type 1 diabetes and nearly 700 control participants. The study found that the children with type 1 diabetes showed poorer cognitive performance overall. They also had deficits in attention, psychomotor speed, and full scale intelligence when compared to the control group.

Glycemic extremes are believed to be the cause of this cognitive dysfunction. These extremes include periods of high glucose levels, as well as periods of severe hypoglycemia. Controlling glucose levels to prevent extremes may benefit cognitive function among children.

These findings were published in the Journal of Diabetes Investigation on March 23, 2018.