Individual growth curve modeling of specific risk factors and memory in youth with type 1 diabetes: an accelerated longitudinal design.
OBJECTIVE
To examine if diabetes risk factors disrupt memory score trajectories in youth with T1D over three years with a powerful accelerated longitudinal method and individual growth curve modeling.


METHODS
Participants aged 9-17 completed memory measures at study enrollment and two years later.


RESULTS
Poorer metabolic control over the course of the study related to a significant decrease in visual memory scores. Compared to baseline, these youth scored 1.99 points lower at follow-up. Generally appropriate developmental gains were made in memory trajectories and girls' visual and verbal memory improved more than boys. No significant effects of disease duration, age of onset, or severe hypoglycemia were found on visual or verbal memory over three years time.


CONCLUSIONS
Of the risk factors studied, only poorer metabolic control had a significant impact upon visual memory after three years. Verbal memory was unaffected. However, given that level of metabolic control tends to remain relatively consistent over time, the effect of continued poorer metabolic control on memory should be monitored.
Department of Psychology, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA 23284, USA.
Sheryl
S
Kent
Rusan
R
Chen
Anil
A
Kumar
Clarissa
C
Holmes
D000293:Adolescent; D001288:Attention; D002648:Child; D003071:Cognition; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007003:Hypoglycemia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory; D008954:Models, Biological; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D014706:Verbal Learning