TY - JOUR
T1 - Influence of erythropoietin on cognitive performance during experimental hypoglycemia in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus
T2 - A Randomized Cross-Over Trial
AU - Kristensen, Peter Lommer
AU - Pedersen-Bjergaard, Ulrik
AU - Kjær, Troels Wesenberg
AU - Olsen, Niels Vidiendal
AU - Dela, Flemming
AU - Holst, Jens Juul
AU - Faber, Jens
AU - Tarnow, Lise
AU - Thorsteinsson, Birger
PY - 2013/4/5
Y1 - 2013/4/5
N2 - Introduction: The incidence of severe hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes has not decreased over the past decades. New treatment modalities minimizing the risk of hypoglycemic episodes and attenuating hypoglycemic cognitive dysfunction are needed. We studied if treatment with the neuroprotective hormone erythropoietin (EPO) enhances cognitive function during hypoglycemia. Materials and Methods: Eleven patients with type 1 diabetes, hypoglycemia unawareness and recurrent severe hypoglycemia completed the study. In a double-blind, randomized, balanced, cross-over study using clamped hypoglycemia they were treated with 40,000 IU of EPO or placebo administered intravenously six days before the two experiments. Cognitive function (primary endpoint), hypoglycemic symptoms, and counter-regulatory hormonal response were recorded. Results: Compared with placebo, EPO treatment was associated with a significant reduction in errors in the most complex reaction time task (-4.7 (-8.1 to -1.3), p = 0.01) and a less reaction time prolongation (-66 (-117 to -16) msec, p = 0.02). EPO treatment did not change performance in other measures of cognition. Hypoglycemic symptoms, EEG-changes, and counter-regulatory hormone concentrations did not differ between EPO and placebo treatment. Conclusion: In patients with type 1 diabetes and hypoglycemia unawareness, treatment with EPO is associated with a beneficial effect on cognitive function in a complex reaction time task assessing sustained attention/working memory. Hypoglycemic symptoms and hormonal responses were not changed by EPO treatment. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00615368.
AB - Introduction: The incidence of severe hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes has not decreased over the past decades. New treatment modalities minimizing the risk of hypoglycemic episodes and attenuating hypoglycemic cognitive dysfunction are needed. We studied if treatment with the neuroprotective hormone erythropoietin (EPO) enhances cognitive function during hypoglycemia. Materials and Methods: Eleven patients with type 1 diabetes, hypoglycemia unawareness and recurrent severe hypoglycemia completed the study. In a double-blind, randomized, balanced, cross-over study using clamped hypoglycemia they were treated with 40,000 IU of EPO or placebo administered intravenously six days before the two experiments. Cognitive function (primary endpoint), hypoglycemic symptoms, and counter-regulatory hormonal response were recorded. Results: Compared with placebo, EPO treatment was associated with a significant reduction in errors in the most complex reaction time task (-4.7 (-8.1 to -1.3), p = 0.01) and a less reaction time prolongation (-66 (-117 to -16) msec, p = 0.02). EPO treatment did not change performance in other measures of cognition. Hypoglycemic symptoms, EEG-changes, and counter-regulatory hormone concentrations did not differ between EPO and placebo treatment. Conclusion: In patients with type 1 diabetes and hypoglycemia unawareness, treatment with EPO is associated with a beneficial effect on cognitive function in a complex reaction time task assessing sustained attention/working memory. Hypoglycemic symptoms and hormonal responses were not changed by EPO treatment. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00615368.
U2 - 10.1371/journal.pone.0059672
DO - 10.1371/journal.pone.0059672
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 23577069
SN - 1932-6203
VL - 8
SP - 1
EP - 8
JO - PLoS Computational Biology
JF - PLoS Computational Biology
IS - 4
M1 - e59672
ER -
