ABSTRACT
Objectives:
This study aimed to correlate cognitive functions with fasting blood glucose through cognitive tests in young adults whose fasting blood glucose within the normal range.
Materials and Methods:
Study accomplished in Ankara University School of Medicine Department of Physiology, Neurophysiology laboratory in February-June 2018. Subjects who are hungry at least for 8 hours before cognitive testsand match the criteria involved in the study. Blood glucose values were measured before and after tests with One Touch blood glucose meter. Subjects’ reaction times and correct answer rates have collected. The outcomes have evaluated with SPSS 11.5 program.
Results:
The difference between blood glucose levels after and before the cognitive tests were correlated negatively with correct answer ratios in N-Back test (r=-0.238, p<0.05). However, this difference was also correlated positively with reaction time ratios in Ebbinghaus test (r=0.239, p<0.05). But this difference was not correlated with any ratios in Posner test. Subjects’ fasting hours, family history about diabetes, diet and sports routines, and their stress level in tests were not significantly correlated with fasting blood glucose levels or success ratios.
Conclusion:
Subjects whose blood glucose levels decreased after tests were significantly more successful in short-term memory tests. These findings could mean that successful usage of working memory and short time memory requires more glucose consumption. There is not enough study which investigates the relation between fasting blood glucose levels and cognition. In this point of view, our study is distinctive and open to further investigations.
Keywords:
Attention, Working memory, Short-Term Memory, Fasting Blood Glucose
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