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Practical Strategies to Enhance Executive Functioning and Strengthen Diabetes Management Across the Lifespan

  • Psychosocial Aspects (KK Hood and S Jaser, Section Editors)
  • Published:
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Abstract

The complex type 1 diabetes (T1D) management regimen places extra demands on one’s ability to plan, organize, and problem-solve, a set of skills described as executive functioning (EF). Research on the relation between EF and T1D management has been mounting and suggest that deficits in EF skills likely interfere with optimal management. However, given the substantial EF demands of T1D management, any person with T1D, including those without clinically significant deficits, could likely benefit from strategies to improve diabetes-related EF skills. The current review outlines typical EF development across the lifespan and suggests behavioral strategies (e.g., environmental modifications) from the EF literature and clinical experience to enhance EF skills at each period of development. When executive dysfunction is suspected, formal neuropsychological assessment is recommended as EF concerns can be a significant problem of their own, or they could be an indicator of another psychological disorder, such as depression or dementia.

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Acknowledgments

Drs. Wasserman’s, Hilliard’s, Schwartz’, and Anderson’s work on this article was supported by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (1K12 DK097696, PI: B. Anderson).

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Conflict of Interest

Rachel M. Wasserman, Marisa E. Hilliard, David D. Schwartz, and Barbara J. Anderson declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Section of Psychology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA

    Rachel M. Wasserman, Marisa E. Hilliard, David D. Schwartz & Barbara J. Anderson

  2. Psychology Service, Texas Children’s Hospital, 1102 Bates Street C. 0940.32, Houston, TX, 77030-2399, USA

    Rachel M. Wasserman, Marisa E. Hilliard, David D. Schwartz & Barbara J. Anderson

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  1. Rachel M. Wasserman
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  2. Marisa E. Hilliard
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Correspondence to Rachel M. Wasserman.

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Wasserman, R.M., Hilliard, M.E., Schwartz, D.D. et al. Practical Strategies to Enhance Executive Functioning and Strengthen Diabetes Management Across the Lifespan. Curr Diab Rep 15, 52 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11892-015-0622-5

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