In a study published in the September issue of the journal Communications Biology, researchers show that chronic hyperglycemia impairs working memory performance and alters fundamental aspects of working memory networks.

"Diabetes is a major risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease, but it is not clear why," says James Hyman, study author and associate professor of psychology at UNLV. "We show that a central feature of diabetes, hyperglycemia, impairs neural activity in ways that are similar to what is observed in preclinical Alzheimer's disease models. This is the first evidence showing neural activity changes due to hyperglycemia overlap with what is observed in Alzheimer's systems."

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