Meeting Report: 2017 International Joint Meeting of Pediatric Endocrinology Washington DC (September 14-17, 2017) Selected Highlights.

Abstract

The first speaker in the session was Fergus Cameron, MD (Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia), who gave a presentation entitled “Type 1 diabetes and the developing brain: Mechanisms of injury.” He discussed how glucose is the primary fuel for the brain and that type 1 diabetes (T1DM) is the “exemplary condition of disordered glucose homeostasis”. A Pittsburgh study of 97 adults with T1DM showed a five times higher prevalence of clinically relevant cognitive impairment compared to controls (1). Those with diabetes have a reduction of brain volume (2) which may be linked to these cognitive impairments. Why does this occur and what factors influence this? In this presentation, Dr. Cameron discussed how various elements, notably hypoglycemia, hyperglycemia, severe hypoglycemia, and DKA, may impact cognition and brain development and function.