CEREBRAL FUNCTION IN DIABETES-MELLITUS

Diabetes mellitus is a common metabolic disorder associated with chron ic complications such as nephropathy, angiopathy, retinopathy and peri pheral neuropathy. Diabetes is not often considered to have deleteriou s effects on the brain. However, long-term diabetes results in a varie ty of subtle cerebral disorders, which occur more frequently than is c ommonly believed. Diabetic cerebral disorders have been demonstrated a t a neurochemical, electrophysiological, structural and cognitive leve l; however, the pathogenesis is still not clear. Probably alterations in cerebral blood supply and metabolic derangements play a role, as th ey do in the pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy. Furthermore, the bra in is also affected by recurrent episodes of hypoglycaemia and poor me tabolic control. We describe herein the cerebral manifestations of dia betes and discuss the putative pathogenetic mechanisms.