Functional magnetic resource imaging assessment of altered brain function in hypothyroidism during working memory
Xiao-Song He1, Ning Ma, Zhong-Lin Pan
1CAS Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disease, School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Huangshan Road 443, Hefei 230027, Anhui, China.
European Journal of Endocrinology
|April 9, 2011
Summary
Hypothyroidism impairs working memory by altering brain activity in the default mode network. Treatment with levothyroxine (L-T(4)) restored normal memory function and brain activity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Cognitive Science
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Hypothyroidism is linked to cognitive deficits, particularly working memory dysfunction.
- Neural mechanisms underlying these cognitive impairments in hypothyroidism remain understudied.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of hypothyroidism on neural circuits involved in working memory using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).
- To explore alterations in brain function and default mode network (DMN) activity during working memory tasks in hypothyroid patients.
Main Methods:
- A longitudinal fMRI study was conducted on 13 female hypothyroid patients before and after levothyroxine (L-T(4)) treatment, alongside 12 matched euthyroid controls.
- Participants performed working memory tasks: four-digit backward recall (BR) and forward recall (FR).
- Task-induced deactivation (TID) within the DMN and memory states (Wechsler Memory Scale-Chinese Revision) were assessed.
Main Results:
- Hypothyroid patients exhibited poorer memory performance compared to controls.
- Significant differences in TID were observed in DMN regions (medial prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex, inferior parietal lobule) between patients and controls.
- Patients showed diminished TID during BR relative to FR, which normalized after L-T(4) treatment, along with memory recovery.
Conclusions:
- Hypothyroidism is associated with altered TID within DMN regions during working memory tasks.
- These findings suggest potential neural correlates for cognitive deficits in hypothyroidism and highlight the reversibility of these changes with treatment.
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