Cognitive functions in children and adolescents with early-onset diabetes mellitus in Egypt

The objective of this study was to investigate performance on memory, intelligence, and executive functions in children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and to investigate the role of glycemic control, hypoglycemic attacks and diabetic ketoacidosis. We compared 50 subjects with T1DM with 30 healthy controls (ages between 7 and 16 years) using Benton Visual Retention Test (BVRT), the Arabic version of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC), and Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). We also compared good versus poor glycemic control in T1DM subjects. Results: T1DM subjects had significantly poorer performance than controls on all subtests of the BVRT, on all subscales of the WISC (verbal, performance and total IQ) and on most subtests of WCST (p < 0.05). T1DM subjects with good glycemic control performed significantly better than subjects with poor glycemic control on all subtests of the BVRT and on all subscales of the WISC (p < 0.05), but there was no difference on the WCST. T1DM subjects differed from controls on memory, intelligence, and executive functions. They also differed according to good or poor glycemic control (except on the WCST). Cognitive performance significantly correlated with a number of demographic and clinical variables.