Health Status, Psychological Symptoms, Mood, and Cognition in L-Thyroxine-Treated Hypothyroid Subjects

• DOI: 10.1089/thy.2006.0252
• Publication Date: 2007-03-26T07:29:43Z
• Authors: Mary H. Samuels; Kathryn G. Schuff; Nichole E. Carlson; Phyllis Carello; Jeri S. Janowsky
• Keywords: Memory span; Thyroid-stimulating hormone

Many hypothyroid subjects receiving L-thyroxine (L-T4) complain of psychological symptoms or cognitive dysfunction. However, there is limited validated information on these self-reports.Cross-sectional comparison 20 euthyroid and 34 treated subjects, aged 20-45 years, with normal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels. Subjects underwent the following measures: Short Form 36 (SF-36); Symptom Checklist 90-Revised (SCL-90-R); Profile Mood States (POMS); tests declarative memory (Paragraph Recall, Complex Figure), working (N-Back, Subject Ordered Pointing, Digit Span Backwards), motor learning (Pursuit Rotor).L-T4-treated had higher mean TSH free T4 levels, but triiodothyronine (T3) levels were comparable to controls. L-T4-treated decrements SF-36 SCL-90-R summary scales subscales. These performed slightly worse N-Back Pursuit Rotor tests. Neither nor thyroid associated performance measures.This group in health status, function, memory, compared Higher suggest this may be related suboptimal treatment, although no correlations between outcomes. findings are by potential selection bias, randomized studies targeting different subdomains would clarify issues.