To study the correlation between perceived stress, insomnia severity index, and cognitive function levels of elderly diabetic individuals attending the diabetic clinic of a tertiary care hospital

Abstract

Background: The link between perceived stress, insomnia, and dementia in diabetic patients can provide new insights into understanding the causes of dementia and developing more effective treatment strategies. Objectives: To estimate the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) scores, Perceived Stress Scale (PSS) scores, and cognitive function levels by Revising Hasegawa's Dementia Scale (HDS-R) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) Scale and to correlate and compare them with patients of normal cognition and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). Methodology: The cross-sectional study was conducted after taking institutional ethical clearance and informed consent from 150 participants. The diabetic elderly patients attending the diabetic clinic were interviewed and MMSE, ISI, PSS, and HDS-R scores were evaluated. Results: Elderly diabetic patients with MCI had higher levels of stress and insomnia compared to those with normal cognitive function. The PSS and ISI scores for the MCI group were 22.4 ± 6.99 and 14.43 ± 5.29, respectively, whereas the scores for the normal group were 17.1 ± 4.54 and 9.05 ± 4.16. Both PSS and ISI scores were found to be negatively correlated to HDS-R scores. Increases in age, blood pressure, blood sugar levels, and Hb1c levels were found to be significant factors for the development of dementia. Conclusion: Elderly diabetic patients with MCI had higher levels of stress scores and ISI as compared to those with normal cognitive functions. Stress scores and insomnia severity scores were negatively correlated with cognitive function.

Keywords

• dementia
• insomnia severity index
• mini-mental state examination
• revised hasegawa's dementia scale
• type 2 diabetes mellitus