Blood Sugar Control Helps Attentiveness

When blood sugar levels are stabilized, the attention span of children with diabetes in theclassroom appears better, according to researchers from Arizona State University. For thestudy, the researchers monitored 4 boys with type 1 diabetes for 10 days while in class toevaluate their attentiveness. Then, the participants were fitted with an insulin pump, whichkept their blood sugar levels on an even keel, and they were observed for another 10 days.

The results of the study, reported in the Journal of Pediatrics (February 2006), indicatedthat the participants demonstrated progress in behavior in 2 categories: performing learningtasks and "off task." Improvements in both categories of behavior averaged 20% and34%, respectively. The differences in classroom attention "may have meaningful implicationson the participants' lives, as well as those of their peers and teachers," theresearchers concluded.