SHORT-TERM-MEMORY AND STRATEGY USE IN CHILDREN WITH INSULIN-DEPENDENTDIABETES-MELLITUS

The present study was designed to examine recall and rehearsal in shor t-term memory among children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus( IDDM). Children with onset of IDDM before age 5 years, children with o nset after 5 years, and children without IDDM were administered a meas ure of short-term memory that provides information about rehearsal as well as level of recall. Children with later onset of diabetes and chi ldren without IDDM were expected to recall more words and use more eff ective rehearsal strategies than children with early onset of diabetes . Results indicate that children diagnosed with IDDM early in life use d similar rehearsal strategies but recalled fewer words than children with later onset of diabetes and children without IDDM. In addition, r esults provide evidence that children who are in poor control of their diabetes did not use strategies designed to increase recall as often, or as well as, children in better control of their diabetes.