Ecological Momentary Assessment of Person-Reported Outcomes in Diabetes: Unlocking Insights with Continuous Glucose Monitoring and the Potential for Precision Medicine

TL;DR

Combining real-time glucose monitoring with daily emotional tracking can improve understanding and treatment of mental health in diabetes.

Contribution

The paper introduces a novel approach combining EMA and CGM to study dynamic relationships in diabetes management.

Findings

EMA and CGM together reveal intraindividual differences in glycemic and psychosocial associations.

Nocturnal glucose levels are particularly linked to mood and cognitive functioning.

Combining these methods supports precision medicine for mental health in diabetes.

Abstract

Diabetes self-management is accompanied by time-varying emotional and motivational challenges that impact mental health. These day-to-day fluctuations can be assessed via ecological momentary assessment (EMA), that allows the repeated sampling of psychosocial variables in everyday life. The benefits of EMA over questionnaires mirror the benefits of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) over HbA1c. We describe the insights generated by combining EMA and CGM and highlight its potential.

Research shows that glucose levels can influence subsequent mood, stress, cognitive functioning, and symptom reporting, with nocturnal hypoglycemia and overnight glucose being particularly relevant. Studies demonstrated the importance of differentiating between subjective person-interpreted and objectively sensor-assessed glucose levels. N-of-1 analyses revealed relevant intraindividual differences in the association between glycemic and psychosocial parameters.

Combining EMA and CGM can enhance our understanding of the dynamic relationship between glycemic and psychosocial variables, supporting precision medicine approaches for mental health in diabetes.

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