Abnormal thalamocortical connectivity of preterm infants with elevated thyroid stimulating hormone identified with...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neonatology
• Endocrinology

Background:

• Thyroid disturbances in preterm infants can affect neuronal development.
• Congenital hypothyroidism's impact is known, but subclinical hypothyroidism's effects are understudied.
• Subclinical hypothyroidism involves elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone without overt symptoms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate alterations in thalamocortical fiber integrity in preterm infants with subclinical hypothyroidism.
• To identify neurodevelopmental changes associated with subclinical hypothyroidism using diffusion tensor imaging.
• To examine cerebral asymmetries in preterm infants with subclinical hypothyroidism.

Main Methods:

• Categorized preterm infants based on thyroid-stimulating hormone levels into control and subclinical hypothyroidism groups.
• Acquired diffusion tensor images to measure thalamocortical fiber lengths.
• Analyzed cerebral asymmetries in various brain regions.

Main Results:

• Significantly reduced thalamocortical fiber lengths were observed in the superior temporal gyrus, heschl's gyrus, lingual gyrus, and calcarine cortex in the subclinical hypothyroidism group.
• Left dominance in orbitofrontal regions was noted in the subclinical hypothyroidism group, contrasting with controls.
• Significant decreases in cuneus area asymmetry were found in preterm infants with subclinical hypothyroidism.

Conclusions:

• Subclinical hypothyroidism in preterm infants is associated with measurable alterations in brain structure and connectivity.
• These findings suggest potential neurodevelopmental disruptions in preterm infants with subclinical hypothyroidism.
• Identifying these changes could aid in developing targeted treatment plans and biomarkers for early intervention.