Personality trait tendencies in impaired hypoglycaemia awareness
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Studying personality trait associations in Type 1 diabetes patients with impaired hypoglycaemia awareness compared to those with hypoglycaemia awareness.
IRAS ID
236456
Contact name
Stephanie Amiel
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
King's College London
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
13/LO/1821, HypoAwARE: Hypo Awareness restoration& Assoc Regional cerebral Effects
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 6 months, 18 days
Research summary
Hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) is the main complication of insulin therapy for type 1 diabetes mellitus (TIDM). In the standard hypoglycaemia aware (HA) state, the body responds to hypoglycaemia by producing hormones that help restore blood glucose to normal. Characteristic symptoms develop which enable patients to recognise hypoglycaemia and treat appropriately.\n\nRecurrent hypoglycaemia, as seen in up to 40% of patients with long standing T1DM, blunts these hormonal and symptom responses, leading to impaired awareness of hypoglycaemia (IAH). IAH is associated with increased severe hypoglycaemia (episodes requiring help from someone else), which has a negative impact on employment, driving and quality of life. There is evidence that hypoglycaemia awareness can be restored in the research setting by strict hypoglycaemia avoidance.\n\nSome patients are particularly resistant to restoring hypoglycaemia awareness despite stringent glucose control and behavioural therapies. Previous research showed reduced activation in brain regions involved with stress, symptom perception, aversion and food-seeking during hypoglycaemia in IAH patients compared to HA. This matches clinical observations of low concern for hypoglycaemia and reduced compliance with therapeutic recommendations to avoid hypoglycaemia seen in IAH patients. \n\nWe would like to investigate whether those with IAH are pre-programmed to develop IAH. We propose to identify IAH patients and HA patients with T1DM and assess personality traits using a set of validated questionnaires. The questionnaire pack is already in use in a neuroimaging study investigating the impact of awareness status on the brain’s responses to hypoglycaemia. Using the questionnaire derived risk taking scores and personality types, we would like to ascertain whether there are any personality trait tendencies in these groups that predict the risk of developing IAH and the ability to restore awareness.
REC name
London - Bloomsbury Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/LO/0192
Date of REC Opinion
6 Mar 2018
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion