Symposium 6: Neurocognitive impact

Abstract

Brain development begins in childhood and continues into early adulthood. From birth, begin the increase in synapse density, a large increase in oxygen and glucose consumption, and myelination. It is at this critical stage of brain development that most diagnoses of type 1 diabetes (DM1) occur.

The presence of periods of hyper and hypoglycemia make this a stage of high vulnerability for the normal development of the nervous system.

Since glucose uptake by neurons is not dependent on insulin, insulin is influenced by fluctuations in extracellular glucose concentrations. Multiple studies have shown that blood glucose fluctuations produce an increase in oxidative stress at the neuronal level and endothelial dysfunction, an overstimulation of NMDA receptors, among other alterations, stimulating neuronal apoptosis.