Severe hypoglycemia poses the greatest challenge to glycemic control in diabetic patients, especially children with type 1 diabetes mellitus. Although in vivo animal models exist for investigating the effects of hypoglycemia, few studies examine repeated hypoglycemia and none investigate within the context of a juvenile animal model. The main objective of this thesis was to examine electroencephalographic (EEG) and behavioral abnormalities manifesting as a result of repeated hypoglycemia in juvenile diabetic and non-diabetic mouse models. Using a novel implantation technique, the hippocampal and cortical EEG were recorded during repeated insulin-induced hypoglycemia. It was discovered that repeated hypoglycemia exacerbated behavioral convulsion severity and promoted epileptiform EEG activity within the hippocampus and cortex of both diabetic and non-diabetic animals. Furthermore, sustained hypoglycemia caused a significant decrease in hippocampal EEG activity in diabetic animals compared with non-diabetics. These results suggest recurrent hypoglycemia may promote and worsen seizures associated with hypoglycemia in diabetic children.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/17714 |
| Date | 22 September 2009 |
| Creators | Sheppy, Evan Anthony |
| Contributors | Carlen, Peter Louis |
| Source Sets | University of Toronto |
| Language | en_ca |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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