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Type-2 diabetes and cognitive function in a non-demented population
M Vanhanen1, J Kuusisto, K Koivisto
1Department of Neurology, University Hospital of Kuopio, Finland.
Objectives:
To study if type-2 (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is associated with cognitive dysfunction independently of clinically diagnosed dementia in an elderly population.
Material And Methods:
Cognitive function was investigated with a brief neuropsychological test battery in a non-demented elderly population consisting of 183 NIDDM (World Health Organization, 1985) patients and 732 non-diabetic subjects.
Results:
Patients with NIDDM were impaired in the Trail-Making Test parts A and C, which may be a reflection of mildly affected frontal lobe/executive functions. Women with NIDDM performed better than non-diabetic subjects in the Mini-Mental State Examination.
Conclusions:
We conclude that NIDDM per se is not associated with impaired memory in the elderly, and the minor defects observed in tests of frontal lobe/executive functions are unlikely to affect daily living. In the non-demented population aged 69 78 years, NIDDM does not carry a significant risk of cognitive dysfunction, when compared to the non-diabetic subjects.