The virtual Morris water maze for cognitive function assessment in adolescents with type 1 diabetes
Authors' conclusion
Spatial navigation performance in adolescents with type 1 diabetes is influenced by both disease duration and recent glycaemic control. Glycaemic excursions, especially during the night, were shown to impair performance.
Study context
- Population
- Adolescents with T1D (age 15.6 ± 3.1 years, 45 boys); Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) metrics over the 2 weeks before assessment, focus on the night before testingT1D participants
- Participants
- 74 adolescents
- Comparison
- Adolescents with T1D vs healthy controls of similar age and sex
- T1Dn = 74
- Outcome
- Spatial navigation performance on the virtual Morris water maze task (time to first move, time to platform, path length; visible and hidden platform stages)
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Virtual Morris water maze task (vMWMT) spatial navigation, T1D vs controls
- Sex-specific patterns of spatial navigation in T1D comparable with healthy controls
- Hidden platform stages (spatial learning and memory): outcomes did not differ between T1D and controls
- T1D vs Healthy controls: P = 0.036
- T1D vs Healthy controls: P = 0.002
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
Predictors of time to platform in T1D (linear regression adjusted for sex, age and diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at diagnosis)
- Diabetes duration independently predicted longer time to platform, β (p<0.001)
- 0.464
- Model R2 (p=0.003)
- 0.396
Predictors of path length in T1D (linear regression adjusted for sex, age and DKA at diagnosis)
- Nocturnal time in marked hypoglycaemia predicted longer path length, β (p=0.002)
- 0.397
- Model R2 (p=0.017)
- 0.206
Original publication
The virtual Morris water maze for cognitive function assessment in adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Diabetologia. Published 17 November 2025. doi:10.
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