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Changes in thyroid function levels in female patients with first-episode bipolar disorder
Xiuhua Song1, Yufang Feng1, Lei Yi1
1Department of Psychiatry, Mental Health Center of Qingdao City, Qingdao, Shandong Province, China.
Frontiers in Psychiatry
|November 29, 2023
Summary
Thyroid hormone levels are linked to bipolar disorder onset. Lower thyroid hormone levels (T3, T4) were observed in patients with depression or mania as their first episode, suggesting thyroid dysfunction
Area of Science:
- Neuroendocrinology
- Psychiatry
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Bipolar disorder diagnosis and treatment can be improved by identifying molecular biomarkers.
- Thyroid hormones play a crucial role in neurological and psychiatric functions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between blood thyroid hormone levels and the type of first episode in bipolar disorder patients.
- To explore thyroid hormone levels as potential biomarkers for different bipolar disorder presentations.
Main Methods:
- A case-control study involving 120 female bipolar disorder patients (60 depression first-episode, 60 mania/hypomania first-episode) and 60 healthy controls.
- Measurement of serum triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).
Main Results:
- Patients with mania/hypomania as first onset had shorter episode duration than those with depression first onset.
- Higher prevalence of thyroid abnormalities was found in the depression first-episode group (60%) compared to the mania/hypomania first-episode group (27%).
- Significantly lower T3 and T4 levels were observed in both bipolar disorder groups compared to controls, with the mania/hypomania group showing higher T3 and FT3 levels than the depression group.
Conclusions:
- Thyroid dysfunction, indicated by reduced blood thyroid hormone levels, may contribute to bipolar disorder progression.
- Blood thyroid hormone levels are correlated with clinical symptoms in bipolar disorder patients experiencing depression or mania as their first episode.
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