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The Correlation Between Thyroid Function, Frontal Gray Matter, and Executive Function in Patients With Major
Shuai Zhao1, Yi Xia1, Yinghong Huang2
1Department of Psychiatry, The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China.
Frontiers in Endocrinology
|December 10, 2021
Summary
Thyroid hormones impact brain structure and executive function in major depressive disorder (MDD). Reduced frontal gray matter in MDD patients was linked to thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, with right middle frontal gyrus volume mediating this relationship.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is associated with cognitive deficits, particularly in executive function.
- Alterations in thyroid hormones (THs) and brain structure are observed in MDD patients.
- The interplay between THs, brain morphology, and executive function in MDD requires further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between serum thyroid hormones (THs), frontal gray matter volume, and executive function in MDD patients.
- To explore whether frontal gray matter mediates the association between THs and executive function in MDD.
- To compare brain structure and TH levels between MDD patients and healthy controls (HCs).
Main Methods:
- Structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) were used to assess frontal gray matter volume.
- Serum levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free Triiodothyronine (fT3), and free Thyroxine (fT4) were measured.
- Executive function tests were administered to all participants; mediation analysis was employed.
Main Results:
- MDD patients showed significant gray matter reductions in frontal regions, including the left rectus and bilateral middle frontal cortex.
- Serum TSH levels positively correlated with altered gray matter volume in the middle frontal gyrus (MFG) and impaired executive function.
- Gray matter volume in the right MFG significantly mediated the relationship between serum TSH levels and executive function.
Conclusions:
- Thyroid function, specifically TSH levels, is associated with structural brain changes in the frontal lobe and executive dysfunction in MDD.
- The right middle frontal gyrus plays a crucial role in mediating the effects of thyroid hormones on executive function in MDD.
- These findings highlight the importance of thyroid function in the neurobiology of MDD and its cognitive consequences.
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