http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/168049.php
If your child or teen has diabetes (or you yourself), you’ve probably heard of “diabetic ketoacidosis.” It’s basically an episode in which the body burns fat for energy instead of sugar due to lack of insulin. It can cause nausea, vomiting and fatigue, and many people say they feel mentally sluggish during or after an episode. (If not treated, diabetics can go into a coma.)
Well now researchers believe that children who have had an episode of diabetic ketoaciosis may cause longer-term memory issues (eg. not just during or immediately following the episode).
The scientists studied 62 kids with type 1 diabetes, about half of which had no history of diabetic ketoacidosis, and the other half who did. Those who HAD experienced episodes at one point in their lives performed significantly lower on memory-related tests.
The article above doesn’t say WHY they think this is happening, but my guess is that the episodes affect the part of the brain responsible for memory – and unless the children undergo cognitive skills therapy to strengthen those cognitive skills (specifically long-term memory), they wouldn’t just repair themselves.
Tags: brain, cognition, diabetes, diabetic, insulin, learning, memory
