Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Osmotic Minipump Implantation for Increasing Glucose Concentration in Mouse Cerebrospinal Fluid
06:21

Osmotic Minipump Implantation for Increasing Glucose Concentration in Mouse Cerebrospinal Fluid

Published on: April 7, 2023

Frequency and timing of severe hypoglycemia affects spatial memory in children with type 1 diabetes

Tamara Hershey1, Dana C Perantie, Stacie L Warren

  • 1Department of Psychiatry, Campus Box 8225, 4525 Scott Ave., Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO 63110, USA. tammy@wustl.edu

Diabetes Care
|September 28, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Frequent severe hypoglycemia in children with type 1 diabetes negatively impacts spatial memory. Early exposure before age 5 is particularly detrimental to long-term memory development.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Endocrinology
  • Neuropsychology
  • Diabetes Research

Background:

  • Severe hypoglycemia is a known risk factor for cognitive deficits in children with type 1 diabetes.
  • The timing and frequency of hypoglycemic events may differentially impact cognitive outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if the age of first severe hypoglycemia modulates the effect of hypoglycemia frequency on spatial memory.
  • To assess the long-term impact of early-life severe hypoglycemia on cognitive function in pediatric type 1 diabetes.

Main Methods:

  • Combined data from three studies including 103 children with type 1 diabetes and 60 controls (aged 6-18 years).
  • Assessed spatial memory using the spatial delayed response task with short and long delays.
  • Categorized participants by hypoglycemia frequency (0, 1-2, 3+ episodes) and age of first episode (before/after 5 years).

Main Results:

  • Repeated severe hypoglycemia (3+ episodes) significantly impaired long-delay spatial memory.
  • This impairment was most pronounced when severe hypoglycemia began before age 5.
  • Neither age of diabetes onset nor chronic hyperglycemia (HbA1c) affected spatial memory performance.

Conclusions:

  • High frequency of severe hypoglycemia and early exposure during development negatively impact spatial long-term memory.
  • Intervention strategies should prioritize preventing hypoglycemia, especially in very young children with type 1 diabetes.
Abstract

More Related Videos

Hippocampal Insulin Microinjection and In vivo Microdialysis During Spatial Memory Testing10:32

Hippocampal Insulin Microinjection and In vivo Microdialysis During Spatial Memory Testing

Published on: January 11, 2013

Barnes Maze Testing Strategies with Small and Large Rodent Models12:59

Barnes Maze Testing Strategies with Small and Large Rodent Models

Published on: February 26, 2014

Related Concept Videos

Hypoglycemia01:26

Hypoglycemia

Hypoglycemia is a blood glucose level below 70 mg/dL. It commonly occurs in individuals using insulin or insulin-secreting drugs, but may also arise in non-diabetic conditions. People with type 1 diabetes are at the highest risk because they depend on exogenous insulin. People with type 2 diabetes are also at risk, especially when treated with insulin or medications such as sulfonylureas, which increase insulin release regardless of blood glucose levels. It develops when insulin levels exceed...
Hypoglycemia and Glucagon01:15

Hypoglycemia and Glucagon

Without prolonged fasting, healthy individuals maintain blood glucose levels above 3.5 mM due to a well-adapted neuroendocrine counterregulatory system that effectively prevents acute hypoglycemia, a potentially life-threatening condition. The primary clinical scenarios for hypoglycemia encompass diabetes treatment, inappropriate production of endogenous insulin or insulin-like substances by tumors, and the use of glucose-lowering agents in non-diabetic individuals. Notably, hypoglycemia in the...
Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype01:22

Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by high blood glucose levels due to inadequate insulin production, insulin resistance, or both. The condition affects millions worldwide and can significantly impact their health and quality of life.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, and individuals with...
Type I Diabetes I: Introduction01:12

Type I Diabetes I: Introduction

Type 1 diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by an absolute deficiency of insulin resulting from the autoimmune destruction of pancreatic β-cells. Although it can occur at any age, it is most commonly diagnosed in childhood, adolescence, or early adulthood. The loss of insulin production impairs cellular glucose uptake, resulting in persistent hyperglycemia and necessitating lifelong insulin therapy.Autoimmune Destruction of β-CellsThe hallmark of type 1 diabetes is an...
Type I Diabetes III: Clinical Manifestations01:19

Type I Diabetes III: Clinical Manifestations

Type 1 diabetes mellitus typically presents with rapid-onset symptoms due to the body’s inability to utilize glucose in the absence of insulin. Since insulin is required for glucose uptake into cells, its deficiency leads to hyperglycemia and cellular energy deprivation, resulting in characteristic clinical features.Polyuria and PolydipsiaOne of the earliest, most prominent symptoms is polyuria (excessive urination). When blood glucose concentrations rise above the renal threshold, the kidneys...
Hyperglycemia01:29

Hyperglycemia

Hyperglycemia is an abnormally high blood glucose level. It is diagnosed by fasting glucose ≥126 mg/dL, 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (or OGTT) ≥200 mg/dL, random glucose ≥200 mg/dL with symptoms, or HbA1c ≥6.5%. However, HbA1c results may be unreliable in certain conditions, such as anemia or hemoglobinopathies, and the diagnosis should be confirmed unless classic symptoms are present. Postprandial hyperglycemia is typically considered significant when glucose levels exceed 180 mg/dL two...