Changes in Cognition, Brain Blood Flow and Brain Volume
As a disease that primarily affects older adults, type 2 diabetes in children is still relatively new—and requires more personalized treatment and dedicated research.
That’s why researchers from the Adolescent Type 2 Diabetes Program at Cincinnati Children’s are trying to close the knowledge gap by looking at the pathways and pathophysiology of type 2 diabetes and the brain. The goal is to understand what kids are going through, so providers can treat them accordingly.
So far, using advanced imaging techniques and neurocognitive assessments, they’ve observed differences between children with type 2 diabetes and their peers without type 2 diabetes, including:
- Less brain blood flow
- Decreased brain volume
- Slightly impaired cognition
“With the brain, even subtle and early changes can shape how kids are performing in school and later impact their potential, including job performance and thriving independently,” says Ryan Brady, MD, a pediatric endocrinologist at Cincinnati Children’s. “We need to understand pediatric type 2 diabetes better because we not only want to prevent the near-term scary stuff but the near-term effects right now.”
Treatment Involves More Than Blood Sugar Management
Many primary care practitioners are comfortable treating the disease process of type 2 diabetes with medication and blood sugar management. But Brady says it’s also important to recognize other subtle changes, especially in pediatric patients, and screen for them, so providers can help patients succeed in school, work and life. For example, diabetes management may involve working with a child’s school to see if they can provide accommodations individualized to the child’s needs.
The Adolescent Type 2 Diabetes Program offers a multidisciplinary clinic, with embedded behavioral medicine specialists, clinical psychologists and other experts, who can help navigate some of the changes that come with type 2 diabetes.
“Our goal is to help treat the whole individual, not just their blood sugars,” says Brady. “We’re focused on more than the features classically associated with diabetes.”
