Brain processes were affected years after diabetes diagnosis

Twelve years after patients were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, researchers observed neurological processes including gliosis, demyelination and altered osmolarity.

The researchers studied 106 patients with type 1 diabetes and 75 participants without diabetes at baseline and 12 years later. Verbal and full-scale IQs were lower in patients with type 1 diabetes vs. the control group (P<.05). Lower performance IQ was associated with early-onset diabetes, and hypoglycemia was associated with lower verbal IQ and volume reduction in thalamus, according to the study.

There was a reduction in gray matter in bilateral thalami and right parahippocampal gyrus along with insular cortex for the group with diabetes. In bilateral parahippocampi, left temporal lobe and middle frontal area, there was a reduction in white matter (P<.0005). In patients with type 1 diabetes, there was an increase of T2 in left superior temporal gyrus and a decrease of T2 in bilateral lentiform nuclei, caudate nuclei and thalami as well as right insular area (P<.0005), according to the study.

N-acetylaspartate was lower in frontal lobes and basal ganglia in patients with diabetes; myoinositol and choline was higher in frontal and temporal lobes and basal ganglia (P<.05). Older age was associated with volume loss and T2 change in basal ganglia, according to the study. Increased myoinositol and reduced T2 in the thalamus were associated with poor glycemic control.

Northam EA. Diabetes Care. 2009;32:445-450.