Brainstem auditory evoked potentials during hypoglycaemia in insulin-dependent diabetic children.

Brainstem auditory evoked potentials (BAEP) were studied in 10 type 1 diabetic children during normoglycaemia (5.5 +/- 0.4 mmol/l), hypoglycaemia and in the post-hypoglycaemic state. In addition, BAEP during normoglycaemia in diabetic children were compared with those of an age-, weight- and sex-matched group of healthy control children. No significant differences were observed between all latencies of the diabetic children compared with those of the healthy children during normoglycaemia. During induction of hypoglycaemia a minor (p < 0.05) prolongation of the inter-peak latency I-V at a blood glucose concentration of 4.1 +/- 0.5 mmol/l was observed. This prolongation was not aggravated at glucose nadir (1.7 +/- 0.3 mmol/l). In conclusion, and in contrast with previous findings in non-diabetic children and in adults with type 1 diabetes, no changes in BAEP were demonstrated during short-term severe hypoglycaemia in diabetic children and only minor transient changes were seen during the initial phase of a standardized induction of hypoglycaemia.