The influence of diabetes mellitus II on cognitive performance

BACKGROUND: The association between diabetes mellitus and cognitive dysfunction is becoming increasingly clear, rendering it necessary for physicians in charge of diabetic patients to have the means to assess cognitive performance. Simple tests that can be applied during routine consultations may be useful for monitoring cognitive function during the course of diabetes. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to assess cognition in diabetes mellitus type II (DM-II) using simple tests that can be incorporated into routine medical practice. METHODS: A cross-sectional study including healthy controls and DM-II patients was carried out between May and September 2011. Volunteers aged 60 years and over were assessed by means of figure recognition, verbal fluency and the 10×36 tests. RESULTS: A group of 100 participants was divided into a subgroup of 50 DM-II patients and a subgroup of 50 healthy volunteers. No statistical difference regarding demographic characteristics was found between the two groups. Results on the 10×36 test showed significantly worse performance among DM-II patients (p<0.0001). Assessment of the DM-II subgroup in terms of disease duration showed statistically significant differences (p<0.001) on figure recognition and verbal fluency, with worse cognitive performance among individuals with longer disease duration, irrespective of gender or age. CONCLUSION: Figure recognition, verbal fluency and 10×36 tests are easy to apply and could be used in routine medical practice for the early detection of cognitive dysfunction among patients with DM-II.