Background
Diabetes has well known as a risk factor for dementia and congnitive impairment. Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is the most prevalent microvascular complication in type 2 diabetic patients. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relat...
Background
Diabetes has well known as a risk factor for dementia and congnitive impairment. Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) is the most prevalent microvascular complication in type 2 diabetic patients. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the relation between diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy and cognitive factors in type 2 diabetic patients.
Methods
Retrospective chart review from January 1, 2005 to October 31, 2016 was done for type 2 diabetic patients with the result of nerve conduction study (NCS) and neurocognitive study in Dong-A medical center. Total 49 patients met the criteria. After exclusion of patients with other disorders such as Parkinson’s disease or acute cerebral infarction, 19 patients were included for the final evaluation. Clinical characteristics including age, diabetes mellitus duration and education duration and blood and urine test, NCS and cognitive factors were evaluated. Diabetic polyneuropathy was defined by data from nerve conduction study: Conduction velocity (CV) < 34.68 mV or sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) < 6 μV). Korean version of the Mini Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) score less than 24 was used as definition of cognitive impairment. Data between with (n=7) and without diabetic polyneuropahty (n=12) and between with (n=8) and without (n=11) cognitive impairment were compared.
Results
Total 19 patients showed age, 71.6 ± 5.0 years, duration of diabetes, 8.4 ± 9.1 years and HbA1c, 8.1 ± 1.8 %. Diabetic polyneuropathy (DPN) was present in 7 of 19 patients (36.8%). Patients with cognitive impairment based on <24 of K-MMSE score were 8 of 19 patients (42.1%). The score of K-MMSE was 23.2±2.9 and 24.0±3.2 in patients with DPN and without DPN, separately (P = 0.811). The prevalence of cognitive impairment also was not different between groups. There was no significant difference between patients with and without cognitive impairment in the prevalence of diabetic polyneuropathy (37.5% vs 36.4%, separately, P=1.000). Education was significantly correlated with cognitive factors; digit span-forward (r=0.674, P = 0.002), digit span-backward (r=0.470, P = 0.042), calculation (r=0.587, P = 0.008), Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test (ROCFT) (r=0.457, P = 0.049). Digit span-forward and CV showed negative correlation(r=, P = 0.026).
Conclusion
Nerve conduction velocity (CV) showed significant correlation with only one cognitive factor, digit span-forward. There was no significant correlation between diabetic peripheral polyneuropathy and other cognitive factors in type 2 diabetic patients. However, this study could not confirm the result due to the limitation of small numbers and retrospective study. Large prospective study is needed.