J Korean Acad Community Health Nurs.  2011 Dec;22(4):377-388. 10.12799/jkachn.2011.22.4.377.

Diabetes and Cognitive Function in Community-Dwelling Older Adults

• Kim Y

• KMID: 2293216
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12799/jkachn.2011.22.4.377

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study was to examine the relation between diabetes and cognitive function in older adults.
METHODS
Eighty community-dwelling patients with diabetes and 506 subjects without diabetes were studied with cognitive function test. Cognitive function was measured by Full-scale IQ, Basic IQ, Executive IQ, Attention Function Index, Working Memory Index, Language Function Index, Visuospatial Function Index, Memory Function Index, and MMSE-K1.
RESULTS
In model controlling for education, the diabetic group showed significantly lower scores than the non-diabetic group in in Full-scale IQ (p=.012), Basic IQ (p=.034), Executive IQ (p=.014), Attention Function Index (p=.002), Working Memory Index (p=.037), and Memory Function Index (p=.043). The diabetic and non-diabetic groups that were matched for gender, age, and education showed similar differences in 7 out of 9 cognitive measures. The impairments of Full-scale IQ and Memory Function Index in the diabetic group were, respectively, 2.7 and 2.8 times greater than that in the diabetic group.
CONCLUSION
These results showed that diabetes should be considered to a factor of cognitive impairment in older adults.

Keyword

Diabetes mellitus; Executive function

MeSH Terms

Adult*
Diabetes Mellitus
Education
Executive Function
Humans
Memory
Memory, Short-Term

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