Influence of erythropoietin on cognitive performance during experimental hypoglycemia in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus: a randomized cross-over trial

• Published in: PloS one 2013-04, Vol.8 (4), p.e59672-e59672
• Main Authors: Kristensen, Peter Lommer, Pedersen-Bjergaard, Ulrik, Kjær, Troels Wesenberg, Olsen, Niels Vidiendal, Dela, Flemming, Holst, Jens Juul, Faber, Jens, Tarnow, Lise, Thorsteinsson, Birger
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Attention task; Biology; Blood Glucose - metabolism; Cardiology; Cognition; Cognition - drug effects; Cognitive ability; Cognitive disorders; Cognitive tasks; Cross-Over Studies; Diabetes; Diabetes mellitus; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - blood; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - metabolism; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 - physiopathology; Diabetes therapy; EEG; Electroencephalography; Electrophysiological Phenomena - drug effects; Endocrinology; Erythropoietin; Erythropoietin - pharmacology; Experiments; Female; Glucose Clamp Technique; Health sciences; Hematologic Tests; Hormones - metabolism; Hospitals; Humans; Hypoglycemia; Hypoxia; Insulin; Male; Medical research; Medicine; Middle Aged; Monitoring, Physiologic; Nephrology; Neuroprotection; Neurosciences; Patients; Prolongation; Randomization; Reaction time; Reaction time task; Short term memory; Type 1 diabetes
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0059672

The incidence of severe hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes has not decreased over the past decades. New treatment modalities minimizing the risk of hypoglycemic episodes and attenuating hypoglycemic cognitive dysfunction are needed. We studied if treatment with the neuroprotective hormone erythropoietin (EPO) enhances cognitive function during hypoglycemia. Eleven patients with type 1 diabetes, hypoglycemia unawareness and recurrent severe hypoglycemia completed the study. In a double-blind, randomized, balanced, cross-over study using clamped hypoglycemia they were treated with 40,000 IU of EPO or placebo administered intravenously six days before the two experiments. Cognitive function (primary endpoint), hypoglycemic symptoms, and counter-regulatory hormonal response were recorded. Compared with placebo, EPO treatment was associated with a significant reduction in errors in the most complex reaction time task (-4.7 (-8.1 to -1.3), p = 0.01) and a less reaction time prolongation (-66 (-117 to -16) msec, p = 0.02). EPO treatment did not change performance in other measures of cognition. Hypoglycemic symptoms, EEG-changes, and counter-regulatory hormone concentrations did not differ between EPO and placebo treatment. In patients with type 1 diabetes and hypoglycemia unawareness, treatment with EPO is associated with a beneficial effect on cognitive function in a complex reaction time task assessing sustained attention/working memory. Hypoglycemic symptoms and hormonal responses were not changed by EPO treatment. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00615368.