Thyroid autoimmunity and neuropsychological development.
Thyroid autoimmunity may affect neuropsychological development by interfering with the fetal and/or neonatal thyroid status; indeed, both hypo- and hyperthyroidism during the fetal-neonatal life may be associated with a subsequent impairment of intellectual and psychomotor performances. Maternal thyroid status during early pregnancy, and in particular hypothyroidism due to autoimmune thyroiditis, can also affect the fetal neurological development. Finally, anti-thyroid drugs used to control hyperthyroidism in pregnant women with Graves' disease have been widely investigated for their possible effect on the intellectual development of the offspring.
Chiovato
L
L
Istituto di Endocrinologia, Universita di Pisa, Italy.
Tonacchera
M
M
Lapi
P
P
Fiore
E
E
Vitti
P
P
Pinchera
A
A
D003409:Congenital Hypothyroidism / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007360:Intelligence / Q000502:physiology; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D011247:Pregnancy; D011379:Prognosis; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000276:immunology; D013967:Thyroiditis, Autoimmune / Q000276:immunology / Q000523:psychology*