Explicit and implicit memory in children with Type I diabetes: Effects of metabolic control and time of day

Explicit and implicit memory may be differentially affected by poor metabolic control in children with Type I diabetes mellitus (T1DM). The prefrontal cortex and medial temporal regions of the brain, which have been implicated in explicit memory, are sensitive to abnormal glucose levels. In addition, the hippocampal region is vulnerable to damage from hypoglycemic insults. Therefore, explicit memory should be affected by poor metabolic control, whereas implicit memory performance should be unaffected, as it functions independently of the hippocampal and prefrontal regions. The current study was designed to investigate (a) the difference in performance of children with diabetes and healthy controls on explicit and implicit memory tasks, (b) the relation between diabetes variables and verbal and perceptual explicit and implicit memory, and (c) the relation between memory performance and time of day in children with diabetes ages 6 to 18. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)