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Effect of age and glucoregulation on cognitive performance
Claude Messier1, Maria Tsiakas, Michèle Gagnon
1School of Psychology, University of Ottawa, 145 Jean-Jacques Lussier Room 352, Ont., K1N 6N5, Ottawa, Canada
Neurobiology of Aging
|August 21, 2003
Summary
Cognitive function, including memory and executive functions, may decline in older adults with poor blood sugar control, even before a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. This study highlights potential early cognitive impacts of impaired glucose regulation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
- Gerontology
Background:
- Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) is linked to neuropathy, retinopathy, and vascular disease.
- Emerging research suggests NIDDM is associated with cognitive impairment and increased dementia risk.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between glucoregulatory status and cognitive function in healthy older adults.
- To determine if impaired glucose regulation, prior to a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, affects cognitive performance.
Main Methods:
- 57 healthy older adults (55-84 years) underwent cognitive testing after consuming saccharin or glucose solutions.
- Participants were categorized into better and poorer glucoregulatory groups based on glucose tolerance tests.
- Cognitive assessments included measures of working memory, verbal declarative memory, and executive functions.
Main Results:
- Older participants (≥72 years) with poorer glucoregulation exhibited worse performance on memory and executive function tests.
- Glucose administration partially mitigated cognitive deficits in older adults with poorer glucoregulation in some tests.
- These cognitive impairments were observed in individuals not yet diagnosed with type 2 diabetes.
Conclusions:
- Cognitive functions, particularly memory and executive functions, may be compromised in older adults with suboptimal glucose regulation.
- These findings suggest that cognitive decline can precede the clinical diagnosis of type 2 diabetes.
- Further research is warranted to explore interventions for cognitive health in individuals with pre-diabetic glucose dysregulation.
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