ABSTRACT
Understanding the relationships between central physiological processes, performance and experiential phenomena remains elusive. One method of better understanding their interrelationships is to examine the neural substrates involved in cognitive enhancement. The available evidence suggests that there may be some neuropsychological specificity to the effect, but that the effect is more pronounced under conditions of mental effort. One method of better understanding their interrelationships is to examine the neural substrates involved in cognitive enhancement. With respect to glucose enhancement of cognitive performance, the notion that metabolic processes are crucial is supported by the knowledge that central insulin sensitivity and the GLUT family of glucose transporters in the central nervous system (CNS) are demonstrably involved. The effects of glucose are comparable with those observed after administration of pharmaceutical cognitive enhancers. Diabetes mellitus is a group of metabolic diseases associated with impaired glucoregulation as a result of dysfunctional insulin secretion or insulin action.
