Identifying Neurocognitive Risks in Kids with Type 1 Diabetes
Official title: Identifying Targets for Preventing Neurocognitive Complications in Youth with T1D
Funded at Joslin Diabetes Center · NIH-11365949 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A multi-center study will follow prepubertal children with newly diagnosed Type 1 diabetes and similar peers without diabetes to understand what affects their thinking and memory over time.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Joslin Diabetes Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 22, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $631,247 |
| NIH project number | 5U01DK140790-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11365949 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes before puberty who can complete neurocognitive testing and imaging, and who have demographically similar peers without diabetes.
✕Less likely to help
Children without diabetes or those unable to participate in follow-up assessments may not benefit.
What this research studies
This study follows children with Type 1 diabetes who are before puberty, along with demographically similar peers without diabetes, to track brain-related thinking skills over several years. Researchers will collect medical data, behavioral assessments, and brain-imaging results to see how factors like blood sugar variability and DKA relate to cognitive changes. A centralized biostatistics center and specialized labs will harmonize data across sites to identify risk and protective factors. The goal is to build a clearer picture of why some kids experience neurocognitive difficulties and how to prevent them.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could guide strategies to protect thinking skills in children with Type 1 diabetes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests links between glycemic events and cognition, but larger, longitudinal harmonized studies are needed.
Where this research is happening
-
Joslin Diabetes Center
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Laffel, Lori M — Joslin Diabetes Center
- Study coordinator: Laffel, Lori M
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.