title: Evaluation of central nervous conduction by visual evoked potentials in insulin-dependent diabetic children. Metabolic and clinical correlations.
abstract: Peripheral neuropathy is a well-known complication of diabetes, but few data are available on central lesions. Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) seem a reliable and feasible technique for detecting a conduction delay in the central nervous system. Seventy-one insulin-dependent type 1 diabetic children (mean age 15 +/- 3 years) and 33 controls were investigated for central neuropathy. We used a pattern of reversal stimulation with television display of a checker board pattern (15 min and 30 min check size). The latencies of the positive peak (P100 wave) were significantly lengthened in 17 patients (27%) but no correlation was found between VEPs and age, duration of diabetes, insulin requirement and HbA1 level. A negative correlation was found between VEPs and peripheral nervous conduction velocity. VEPs measurement seems a simple and reliable technique for detecting early alterations in CNS function in diabetics. Our data suggest that central and peripheral nervous alterations progress simultaneously.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009431:Neural Conduction; D012881:Skin Temperature
chemical_list: D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin