Type 1 Diabetes Injury To Developing Brain May Be Reversed With Strict Glucose Management

Sep, 2022 - By SMI

According to researchers, the new data suggests that better glucose management can actually enhance the structure and function of young people with Type 1 diabetes' brains, bringing them closer to their non-diabetic contemporaries.

The immune system of the body incorrectly kills insulin-producing cells in the pancreas in type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune illness. There is currently no treatment for it, and its causes are not entirely known. It is estimated that 244,000 children and adolescents in the United States have this illness, which can occasionally lead to major health issues that emerge suddenly or later in life. The report was released online in Nature Communications on August 30 of this year.

Researchers from Nemours Children's Health, Jacksonville and Stanford University School of Medicine collaboratively led this proof-of-concept pilot study, which is the most thorough to date on this subject. 42 teenagers between the ages of 14 and 17 who had Type 1 diabetes before the age of eight and were receiving insulin therapy were enrolled in the study. The youths were randomly assigned to one of two groups, one receiving traditional diabetic care and the other receiving a hybrid closed-loop insulin delivery device. All individuals had multimodal brain imaging and cognitive testing by the researchers before and after the six-month trial period. If used appropriately and consistently, a hybrid closed-loop insulin administration system can lengthen the duration when blood sugar is within a healthy range. It specifically helps with blood sugar stabilisation during sleep while early signs of hypoglycemia are harder to detect. The insulin pump and the CGM are electronically connected, and the insulin dose is changed according to the most recent closed glucose monitor reading.

The results of participants utilising the closed-loop glucose control system were more similar to those of teens without diabetes than those of the conventional care group, which demonstrated a considerable improvement in key brain metrics indicating normal adolescent brain development. Moreover, the closed-loop group demonstrated improved cognitive (IQ) results and functional brain activity, which were more consistent with typical adolescent brain development.

The current study highlights that better blood glucose level management in kids with Type 1 diabetes may prevent damage to the developing brain and result in observable enhancements in brain growth and function.