Impact of glucose metabolism and birth size on cognitive performance in elderly subjects

Abstract Aims We aimed to investigate the impact of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance on cognitive performance and to explore the association between birth weight and cognitive performance among diabetic subjects. Methods We performed a standard oral glucose tolerance test and a computerised t...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Diabetes research and clinical practice 2009-03, Vol.83 (3), p.379-386
Main Authors: Paile-Hyvärinen, Maria, Räikkönen, Katri, Kajantie, Eero, Darby, David, Ylihärsilä, Hilkka, Salonen, Minna K, Osmond, Clive, Eriksson, Johan G
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Attention
Birth Weight
Blood Glucose - metabolism
Cognition
Cognitive performance
Cohort Studies
Coronary Disease - physiopathology
Coronary Disease - psychology
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - physiopathology
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - psychology
Diabetic Angiopathies - physiopathology
Diabetic Angiopathies - psychology
Endocrinology & Metabolism
Female
Glucose Tolerance Test
Humans
Learning
Male
Memory, Short-Term
Middle Aged
Reaction Time
Reference Values
Type 2 diabetes
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Summary:Abstract Aims We aimed to investigate the impact of diabetes and impaired glucose tolerance on cognitive performance and to explore the association between birth weight and cognitive performance among diabetic subjects. Methods We performed a standard oral glucose tolerance test and a computerised test for assessment of cognitive performance (CogState® ) in 1243 subjects; 173 of them had type 2 diabetes. At the time of cognitive testing the mean age of the subjects was 64 years. Subjects with type 1 diabetes or a history of stroke were excluded. Results Subjects with known diabetes performed significantly poorer in cognitive tasks measuring visual attention, working memory and episodic learning than subjects with normal glucose tolerance. Subjects with newly diagnosed diabetes or milder impairments in glucose regulation did not differ from the normoglycaemic group. A low birth weight enhanced the association between diabetes and poor performance in the working memory and episodic learning tasks. Conclusions Poorer cognitive performance was associated with known type 2 diabetes but not with newly diagnosed diabetes or milder impairments in glucose regulation. Low birth weight was found to be an additional vulnerability factor enhancing cognitive decline in diabetic subjects.
ISSN:0168-8227
1872-8227
DOI:10.1016/j.diabres.2008.12.010