The brains of people with diabetes slow down early in the disease, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of Alberta tracked 41 people with type 2 diabetes -- also known as adult-onset diabetes -- and 424 without to make the finding.

The team said in a news release that healthy adults performed significantly better in executive functioning and speed of thought. The differences were not significant in terms of memory, verbal fluency or reaction time.

They also found, when looking at age, that the differences did not seem to get greater with age, leading them to conclude that the effects show up early in the disease and remain stable.

The full study appears in the January issue of Neuropsychology.