Clinical utility of mental state screening as a predictor of intellectual outcomes 6 months after diagnosis of type 1 diabetes

Increased Use of Hyperosmolar Therapy for Suspected Clinically Apparent Brain Injury in Pediatric Patients with Diabetic Ketoacidosis during the Peak of the COVID-19 Pandemic

The incidence of pediatric diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) increased during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this study was to investigate whether rates of hyperosmolar therapy administration for suspected clinically apparent brain injury (CABI) complicating DKA also increased during this period as compared to the three years immediately preceding the pandemic and to compare the characteristics of patients with suspected CABI before the pandemic, patients with suspected CABI during the peak of the pandemic, and those with DKA but without suspected CABI during the pandemic. Patients aged ≤18 years presenting with DKA before (March 11, 2017-March 10, 2020) and during the peak of the pandemic (March 11, 2020-March 10, 2021) were identified through a rigorous search of two databases. Predefined criteria were used to diagnose suspected CABI. Biochemical, clinical, and sociodemographic data were collected from a comprehensive review of the electronic medical record. The proportion of patients with DKA who received hyperosmolar therapy was significantly higher (P = 0.014) during the pandemic compared to the prepandemic period; however, this was only significant among patients with newly diagnosed diabetes. Both groups with suspected CABI had more severe acidosis, lower Glasgow Coma Scale scores, and longer hospital admissions (P< 0.001 for all) than cases without suspected CABI. During the pandemic, the blood urea nitrogen concentration was significantly higher in patients with suspected CABI than those without suspected CABI, suggesting they were more severely dehydrated. The clinical, biochemical, and sociodemographic characteristics of patients with suspected CABI were indistinguishable before and during the pandemic. In conclusion, administration of hyperosmolar therapy for suspected CABI was more common during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, possibly a result of delayed presentation, highlighting the need for increased awareness and early recognition of the signs and symptoms of diabetes and DKA, especially during future surges of highly transmissible infections.

Early Oral Rehydration Therapy in Diabetic Ketoacidosis: A Randomized Controlled Study

Objectives We aimed to compare the efficacy of oral versus intravenous (IV) fluid therapy in correcting dehydration in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) when pH was ≥ 7.25 and Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score was ≥12. We also compared the time to resolution of DKA.

Subjects Children aged ≤18 years with DKA were included in the study. In our pilot study, 40 children were enrolled from June 2018 to April 2019 and divided into two groups after achieving pH ≥ 7.25 and GCS score ≥ 12.

Materials and Methods This was an open-label, parallel-arm, randomized control trial conducted in the pediatric intensive care unit of a tertiary referral hospital in North India. The IV group (control group) received treatment as per the standard protocol, whereas the oral group (trial group) received only oral fluids; IV fluid was withheld for 48 hours. Dehydration was clinically assessed on admission and after 48 hours, and the proportion of children achieving correction of dehydration was compared. Biochemical parameters were measured over time, and the time taken for resolution was compared between groups.

Results Both groups achieved successful correction of dehydration. No significant difference was observed in the time taken from randomization to complete resolution of DKA. Hyperchloremia improved significantly earlier in the oral group after randomization.

Conclusion Early institution of oral rehydration strategy after achieving pH ≥ 7.25 and GCS score ≥ 12 was effective in correcting dehydration at a rate comparable to standard IV rehydration. Hyperchloremia was observed to resolve earlier in patients that received oral rehydration therapy.

Brain injury in children with diabetic ketoacidosis: Review of the literature and a proposed pathophysiologic pathway for the development of cerebral edema

Cerebral edema (CE) is a potentially devastating complication of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) that almost exclusively occurs in children. Since its first description in 1936, numerous risk factors have been identified; however, there continues to be uncertainty concerning the mechanisms that lead to its development. Currently, the most widely accepted hypothesis posits that CE occurs as a result of ischemia-reperfusion injury, with inflammation and impaired cerebrovascular autoregulation contributing to its pathogenesis. The role of specific aspects of DKA treatment in the development of CE continues to be controversial. This review critically examines the literature on the pathophysiology of CE and attempts to categorize the findings by types of brain injury that contribute to its development: cytotoxic, vasogenic, and osmotic. Utilizing this scheme, we propose a multifactorial pathway for the development of CE in patients with DKA.

Disrupted Regional Cerebral Blood Flow in Children With Newly-Diagnosed Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus: An Arterial Spin Labeling Perfusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Object: Diabetes is associated with cerebral vascular dysfunction and increased vascular cognitive impairment. The objective of this study was to use arterial spin labeling (ASL) perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging to investigate whether cerebral perfusion was changed in newly-diagnosed children with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and the possible relationship between aberrant cerebral blood flow (CBF) with cognitive as well as clinical variables.

Methods: Between January 2017 and February 2018, 34 children with newly-diagnosed T1DM and 34 age, gender, and education-matched healthy controls were included. Three dimensional pseudo-continuous ASL perfusion MRI was used to evaluate CBF. A conventional T2WI sequence was added to exclude intracranial disease. Regions with CBF differences between T1DM children and the controls were detected via voxel-wise comparisons in REST software. Associations among the result of neuropsychological test, clinical variables, and CBF values of different brains were investigated by using partial correlation analysis.

Results: Compared with the controls, T1DM children show decreased CBF in the left calcarine and postcentral gyrus, and right precentral gyrus. The perfusion in the postcentral gyrus was positively correlated with IQ performance. No significant correlations were found between CBF and HbA1c, blood glucose level before imaging and IQ in other brain regions in T1DM children.

Conclusion: There is an abnormal cerebral perfusion in children with newly diagnosed T1DM. The visual and sensorimotor areas are brain areas where perfusion is prone to change at the beginning of T1DM. Our study provided clues for cerebral pathophysiological changes in the initial stage of T1DM.

The effect of type 1 diabetes on the developing brain

The effect of type 1 diabetes on the developing brain is a topic of primary research interest. A variety of potential dysglycaemic insults to the brain can cause cellular and structural injury and lead to altered neuropsychological outcomes. These outcomes might be subtle in terms of cognition but appear to persist into adult life. Age and circumstance at diagnosis appear to play a substantial role in potential CNS injury. A history of diabetic ketoacidosis and chronic hyperglycaemia appear to be more injurious than previously suspected, whereas a history of severe hypoglycaemia is perhaps less injurious. Neurocognitive deficits manifest across multiple cognitive domains, including executive function and speed of information processing. Some evidence suggests that subtle brain injury might directly contribute to psychological and mental health outcomes. Impaired executive function and mental health, in turn, could affect patients' adherence and the ability to make adaptive lifestyle choices. Impaired executive functioning creates a potential feedback loop of diabetic dysglycaemia leading to brain injury, further impaired executive function and mental health, which results in suboptimal adherence, and further dysglycaemia. Clinicians dealing with patients with suboptimal glycaemic outcomes should be aware of these potential issues.

Impact of Early Diabetic Ketoacidosis on the Developing Brain

OBJECTIVE

This study examined whether a history of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is associated with changes in longitudinal cognitive and brain development in young children with type 1 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

Cognitive and brain imaging data were analyzed from 144 children with type 1 diabetes, ages 4 to <10 years, who participated in an observational study of the Diabetes Research in Children Network (DirecNet). Participants were grouped according to history of DKA severity (none/mild or moderate/severe). Each participant had unsedated MRI scans and cognitive testing at baseline and 18 months.

RESULTS

In 48 of 51 subjects, the DKA event occurred at the time of onset, at an average of 2.9 years before study entry. The moderate/severe DKA group gained more total and regional white and gray matter volume over the observed 18 months compared with the none/mild group. When matched by age at time of enrollment and average HbA1c during the 18-month interval, participants who had a history of moderate/severe DKA compared with none/mild DKA were observed to have significantly lower Full Scale Intelligence Quotient scores and cognitive performance on the Detectability and Commission subtests of the Conners' Continuous Performance Test II and the Dot Locations subtest of the Children's Memory Scale.

CONCLUSIONS

A single episode of moderate/severe DKA in young children at diagnosis is associated with lower cognitive scores and altered brain growth. Further studies are needed to assess whether earlier diagnosis of type 1 diabetes and prevention of DKA may reduce the long-term effect of ketoacidosis on the developing brain.

A brief campaign to prevent diabetic ketoacidosis in children newly diagnosed with type 1 diabetes mellitus: The NO-DKA Study

OBJECTIVE

New-onset diabetic ketoacidosis (NO-DKA) is entirely preventable with early recognition of the symptoms of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D). In this study, we aimed to assess whether a simple and easily delivered educational campaign could reduce the risk of DKA.

METHODS

A poster highlighting key features of new-onset T1D was delivered once a year over 2 years to mailboxes of over 460 000 individual residential households in the Auckland region (New Zealand). In the first year, the campaign poster was also delivered to all general practices in the region. Families of all newly diagnosed cases of T1D in children answered a brief questionnaire to ascertain whether the campaign reached them.

RESULTS

Over the 24-month period covered by this study, 132 new cases of T1D were diagnosed in children and adolescents in Auckland. There were 38 cases (28.8%) of DKA, which is similar to the average over the previous 5-year period (27.0%). The caregivers of three children reported both seeing the campaign poster and seeking medical attention as a result. None of these three children were in DKA at diagnosis; they were aged 6.3 to 9.7 years, and of New Zealand European ethnicity.

CONCLUSIONS

A non-targeted campaign to raise awareness of diabetes symptoms in youth led only a few caregivers to seek timely medical attention. Overall, this once-yearly untargeted campaign to raise awareness of diabetes symptoms in youth had limited impact. More effective strategies are required, possibly involving sustained targeted education of medical practitioners.

Self- and parent-reported executive problems in adolescents with type 1 diabetes are associated with poor metabolic control and low physical activity

BACKGROUND

Management of diabetes is demanding and requires efficient cognitive skills, especially in the domain of executive functioning. However, the impact of impaired executive functions on diabetes control has been studied to a limited extent. The aim of the study is to investigate the association between executive problems and diabetes control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Two hundred and forty-one of 477 (51%) of 12- to 18-year-old adolescents, with a diabetes duration of >2 years in Stockholm, Uppsala, and Jönköping participated. Parents and adolescents completed questionnaires, including Behavioral Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF), Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)-Rating Scale (ADHD-RS) and demographic background factors. Diabetes-related data were collected from the Swedish Childhood Diabetes Registry, SWEDIABKIDS. Self-rated and parent-rated executive problems were analyzed with regard to gender, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), frequency of outpatient visits, and physical activity, using chi-square tests or Fisher's test, where P-values <.05 were considered significant. Furthermore, adjusted logistic regressions were performed with executive problems as independent variable.

RESULTS

Executive problems, according to BRIEF and/or ADHD-RS were for both genders associated with mean HbA1c >70 mmol/mol (patient rating P = .000, parent rating P = .017), a large number of outpatient visits (parent rating P = .015), and low physical activity (patient rating P = .000, parent rating P = .025). Self-rated executive problems were more prevalent in girls (P = .032), while parents reported these problems to a larger extent in boys (P = .028).

CONCLUSION

Executive problems are related to poor metabolic control in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Patients with executive problems need to be recognized by the diabetes team and the diabetes care should be organized to provide adequate support for these patients.

Serum Levels of Neuron-Specific Enolase in Children With Diabetic Ketoacidosis

Neuron-specific enolase is a sensitive marker of neuronal damage in various neurologic disorders. This study aimed to measure serum neuron-specific enolase levels at different time points and severities of diabetic ketoacidosis. This study included 90 children (age 9.2 ± 3.4 years) with diabetic ketoacidosis. Neuron-specific enolase was measured at 3 time points (baseline and after 12 and 24 hours of starting treatment). Among patients, 74.4% had diagnosis of new diabetes, 60% had Glasgow Coma Scale score <15, and 75.6% had moderate/severe diabetic ketoacidosis. Compared with controls (n = 30), children with diabetic ketoacidosis had higher neuron-specific enolase levels at the 3 time points ( P = .0001). In multiple regression analysis, the factors associated with higher neuron-specific enolase levels were younger age, higher glucose, lower pH, and bicarbonate values. This study indicates that serum neuron-specific enolase is elevated in diabetic ketoacidosis and correlated with the severity of hyperglycemia, ketosis, and acidosis. This study indicates that diabetic ketoacidosis may cause neuronal injury from which the patients recovered partially but not completely.

Chronic comorbidities in children with type 1 diabetes: a population-based cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To determine the incidence of chronic comorbidities among children with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and to compare incidences with a group of children without diabetes.

DESIGN

Population-based cohort study.

SETTING

Dutch PHARMO database (1998-2010).

PATIENTS

All patients (<19 years old) with T1D between 1999 and 2009 (T1D cohort) and a group of age- and sex-matched (ratio: 1-4) children without diabetes (reference cohort).

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

The incidence of nine common chronic comorbidities was assessed on the basis that they were treated pharmacologically and/or resulted in hospital admission. Cox proportional hazard analysis was used to estimate the strength of the association between T1D and comorbidities, expressed as HRs and 95% CIs.

RESULTS

A total of 915 patients with T1D and 3590 children in the reference cohort (51% boys, mean age of 10.1 (SD 4.5) years) were included. T1D was associated with an increased risk (HR; 95% CI) of hospitalisation for any comorbidity (3.7; 2.5 to 5.5), thyroid disease (14.2; 6.7 to 31.0), non-infectious enteritis and colitis (5.9; 3.0 to 11.5), cardiovascular disorders (3.1; 2.3 to 4.2), mental disorders (2.0; 1.4 to 3.1), epilepsy (2.0; 1.1 to 3.7) and (obstructive) pulmonary disease (1.5; 1.2 to 2.0). There was no significant difference in the incidences of other comorbidities (malignant disorders, anaemia and migraine) between the two cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS

Our longitudinal study showed that incidences of six chronic diseases were significantly higher in T1D children during the early years of developing this disease compared with the reference children.

15-year incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis at onset of type 1 diabetes in children from a regional setting (Auckland, New Zealand)

We assessed the incidence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) in children aged <15 years with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) in the Auckland Region (New Zealand) in 1999–2013, in a retrospective review of a complete regional cohort. DKA and its severity were classified according to ISPAD 2014 guidelines. Of 730 children presenting with new-onset T1DM over the 15-year time period, 195 cases had DKA of any severity (27%). There was no change in the incidence of DKA or the proportion of children with severe DKA at presentation. The incidence of DKA among children aged <2.0 years (n = 40) was 53% compared to 25% for those aged 2–14 years (n = 690; p = 0.005). In children aged 2–14 years, increasing age at diagnosis was associated with greater likelihood of DKA at presentation (p = 0.025), with the odds of DKA increasing 1.06 times with each year increase in age. Non-Europeans were more likely to present in DKA than New Zealand Europeans (OR 1.52; p = 0.048). Despite a consistent secular trend of increasing incidence of T1DM, there was no reduction in the incidence of DKA in new-onset T1DM in the Auckland Region over time. Thus, it is important to explore ways to reduce DKA risk.

Future challenges for pediatric diabetes management in developing countries: lessons from Africa

In this review, we describe the epidemiology of diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents in Africa, noting that there is a paucity of data with regard to the burden of disease, prevalence of undiagnosed diabetes, healthcare and acute and chronic complications. Furthermore, access to care remains an issue of great concern. Our view is that in the next 5 years, more research will be undertaken on the burden of the disease and on interventions to provide better access to care. While the majority of African countries still have a low incidence of diabetes in children, it is predicted that the incidence will increase and it is therefore essential that governments develop sustainable policies to deal with such increases.

Food for thought: the role of appetitive peptides in age-related cognitive decline

Through their well described actions in the hypothalamus, appetitive peptides such as insulin, orexin and leptin are recognized as important regulators of food intake, body weight and body composition. Beyond these metabolic activities, these peptides also are critically involved in a wide variety of activities ranging from modulation of immune and neuroendocrine function to addictive behaviors and reproduction. The neurological activities of insulin, orexin and leptin also include facilitation of hippocampal synaptic plasticity and enhancement of cognitive performance. While patients with metabolic disorders such as obesity and diabetes have greater risk of developing cognitive deficits, dementia and Alzheimer's disease (AD), the underlying mechanisms that are responsible for, or contribute to, age-related cognitive decline are poorly understood. In view of the importance of these peptides in metabolic disorders, it is not surprising that there is a greater focus on their potential role in cognitive deficits associated with aging. The goal of this review is to describe the evidence from clinical and pre-clinical studies implicating insulin, orexin and leptin in the etiology and progression of age-related cognitive decline. Collectively, these studies support the hypothesis that leptin and insulin resistance, concepts normally associated with the hypothalamus, are also applicable to the hippocampus.