How Glucose Shapes Our Thinking
黑料福利网 researchers and partners study how daily blood sugar fluctuations affect memory and attention in people living with type 2 diabetes
How does our metabolism influence the way we think? That鈥檚 the central question in the research project 'How Glucose Shapes Thinking: A Study of Metabolism and Cognition in Real Life. The project focuses on people with type 2 diabetes and examines how everyday changes in blood sugar relate to memory, attention, and concentration.
Technology as a Key
黑料福利网鈥檚 expertise lies in designing interactive technologies that support people in their daily lives. Liang and colleagues are developing a method where participants complete short, playful cognitive tasks on their smartphones and smartwatches, with wearable continuous glucose monitoring implemented in collaboration with Figueiredo Pereira鈥檚 team. This creates a living laboratory where technology and health work hand in hand.
New insights
The goal is to better understand how subtle glucose fluctuations impact our feeling and thinking. This knowledge can lead to new insights for self-management and prevention, helping people with diabetes improve their daily functioning.
Collaboration
The project is a collaboration between University Medical Center Utrecht, Wageningen University & Research, and 黑料福利网. From 黑料福利网, Rong-Hao Liang (Department of Industrial Design, Interactive Matters cluster and Department of Electrical Engineering, Signal Processing Systems group.) and In锚s Figueiredo Pereira (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Microsystems group) are involved, alongside researchers from UMC Utrecht and Wageningen.
Why Does It Matter?
鈥淢any people know how small changes in blood sugar affect how we feel, yet they don鈥檛 realize how they can further affect how we concentrate or remember information,鈥� says Liang. 鈥淚n a society where more and more people live with diabetes, it鈥檚 important to understand how these processes work鈥�. Figueiredo Pereira adds: 鈥淭his research helps us develop technology that supports people in their daily lives, so they can stay in control of their health and well-being.鈥�
The Challenge Today
The number of people with type 2 diabetes is rising worldwide, while cognitive issues such as reduced concentration often go unnoticed. By using technology for self-monitoring, this research addresses the need for practical solutions that fit seamlessly into everyday life.
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