Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetes and the Brain

Abstract

This chapter focuses on the neurocognitive effects of diabetes mellitus, particularly type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Although many of the side effects of diabetes—such as retinopathy, nephropathy, and peripheral neuropathy—are well known, the consequences on cognition have received comparatively little attention. These consequences will become more important as the rate of diabetes continues to rise at a staggering rate and millions of people are affected throughout the world. This chapter provides an overview of the current knowledge on how diabetes mellitus affects cognitive function, emphasizing the role of hypo- and hyperglycemia, while placing it in the context of diabetes as a whole.