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Published on: October 23, 2020
COGNITIVE FUNCTIONS IN CHILDREN WITH TYPE I DIABETES
Basma Adel Ibrahim1, Sawsan Ali Hussein1, Wasnaa Hadi Abdullah1
1AL-MUSTANSIRIYAH UNIVERSITY, BAGHDAD, IRAQ.
Insights
Children with type 1 diabetes show impaired cognitive function and psychosocial difficulties compared to healthy peers. Poor glycemic control, including hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia, significantly impacts their cognition and mental health.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Endocrinology
- Neuroscience
- Clinical Psychology
Background:
- Type 1 diabetes (T1D) is a chronic condition affecting children worldwide.
- Cognitive function and psychosocial well-being are crucial for development and quality of life.
- Understanding the impact of T1D on these domains is essential for comprehensive care.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate cognitive impairment patterns and severity in children with T1D.
- To investigate the association between cognitive function and disease characteristics like onset and glycemic control.
- To assess psychosocial functioning in children with T1D.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 60 children with T1D and 60 age-matched controls.
- Cognitive function assessed using the Modified Mini-Mental State (MMMSE) examination.
- Psychosocial functioning screened using the Pediatric Symptoms Checklist (PSC).
- Analysis correlated cognitive and psychosocial scores with age, gender, socioeconomic status, disease onset, duration, HbA1c, and history of ketoacidosis/hypoglycemia.
Main Results:
- Children with T1D had significantly lower M স্মৃতি (MMMSE) scores compared to controls (25.12±4.58 vs. 30.08±2.95).
- Patients with T1D exhibited significantly lower PSC scores, indicating poorer psychosocial functioning (39.08±8.18 vs. 54.42±6.0).
- Both hyper- and hypoglycemia were associated with impaired cognition and mental health.
Conclusions:
- Children with T1D experience neurocognitive impairment compared to their non-diabetic peers.
- Poor glycemic control, encompassing both hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia, negatively affects cognitive function and mental health in diabetic children.
- Early detection and management of cognitive and psychosocial issues are vital for children with T1D.
Objective:
The aim: To assess the patterns and severity of cognitive impairment in children with type 1 diabetes as well as its association with disease onset and poor glycemic control.
Patients And Methods:
Materials and methods: We assessed higher mental function and screened for psychosocial functioning in 60 children with type 1 DM and 60 age-matched control using the Modified Mini-Mental State examination and Pediatric Symptoms Checklist and its relation with age, gender, socioeconomic status, age at the onset of disease, duration of disease, HbA1c level, frequency of diabetic ketoacidosis and hypoglycemic attacks and type of treatment.
Results:
Results: Diabetic patients demonstrated a lower Modified Mini-Mental State examination score than controls (25.12±4.58 versus 30.08±2.95) with a highly significant difference. Furthermore, the mean Pediatric symptoms checklist score in patients was 39.08±8.18 which was much lower than that of controls 54.42±6.0 with a highly significant difference.
Conclusion:
Conclusions: There is neurocognitive impairment in diabetic children compared to non-diabetics, and poor glycemic control whether hyper or hypoglycemia could affect their cognition and mental health.
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