RESUMO
Background: Type 2 diabetes mellitus may be associated with cognitive decline (CD) in older subjects. Aim: To determine if CD is more common among diabetic subjects that their non-diabetic counterparts. Material and Methods: Using a case-control design, 17 diabetic patients with a median age of 73 years (nine females) and 21 non diabetic subjects with a median age of 72 years (17 females), with a similar educational background, were studied. Cognitive status was assessed using the Mini mental State Examination (MMSE), using a cutoff point of 23, and the Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), that evaluated conceptualization, mental flexibility, motor initiative, sensibility to interference, inhibitory control, and environmental autonomy. The presence of any mental or organic cerebral disease, sensorial impairment or illiteracy were considered exclusion criteria. Results: Fifty nine percent of diabetic subjects and 24 percent of their non-diabetic counterparts, had a MMSE below the cutoff point (p = 0.03). An abnormal FAB was found in 29 and 14 percent of diabetic and non-diabetic subjects, respectively (p = NS). Both tests were abnormal in 29 and 5 percent of diabetic and non-diabetic subjects, respectively (p = 0.05). Conclusions: In this group of subjects, CD was more common among diabetics than their non-diabetic counterparts.