While diabetes is often known as a disease affecting the breakdown of sugar, most do not know about the implications of the disease's affects on the circulatory system. As a disease that limits blood flow, as well as organ health, diabetes has been known to cause other dreaded ailments, that if left unchecked, may have a debilitating effect on a person's life. Vital organs are the usual casualties of diabetes, with cataracts that lead to blindness, as well as, kidney malfunction being some of the ramifications associated with the disease. A recent study published in the journal Diabetes found that type-one diabetes may affect another organ in children in particular-the brain. The study saw a difference in brain development of children with diabetes, compared with children not suffering from the disease.
The study involved children within the four to nine age bracket, and was a mix of diabetics and non-diabetics. The children were studied for 18 months, with regular assessments made on their brain development. The researchers used brain scans and tests to monitor the children's mental abilities, while continuously monitoring their blood sugar levels as well.
The study found a decrease in growth of overall and regional gray and white matter in the brains of children with type-one diabetes. This was in contrast to those without diabetes. The researchers, however, said that they didn't observe any significant difference in both children's cognitive skills, which include memory and thinking.
"Our results show the potential vulnerability of young developing brains to abnormally elevated glucose levels, even when the diabetes duration has been relatively brief" lead author and chief of the division of endocrinology, diabetes & metabolism at Nemours Children's Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, Dr. Nelly Mauras says.
"Despite the best efforts of parents and diabetes care teams, about 50 percent of all blood glucose concentrations during the study were measured in the high range. Remarkably, the cognitive tests remained normal, but whether these observed changes will ultimately impact brain function will need further study."
Dr. Karen Winer, co-author of the study and US National Institute of Human Development and Child Health's pediatric endocrinologist, says that parents are always concerned with the possible effects chronic illnesses have on their children's brains. Though researchers are hopeful that as better technology develops, it will also be possible to determine if the differences observed with brain imaging studies could be improved with better glucose control.
In a report by PsychCentral, the researchers are planning to continue to follow the same children involved in the study through their years of puberty to observe how their brains change. The researchers are also planning to use similar glucose monitoring, cognitive testing and MRI scans, including evaluation of brain function with functional MRI in their study.
