Thyroid abnormalities associated with rapid-cycling bipolar illness.
Bipolar patients taking lithium carbonate were classified as rapid-cycling or non-rapid-cycling based on whether they had ever experienced four or more affective episodes in a 12-month period. Overt hypothyroidism was found in 12 (50.7%) of the 24 rapid-cycling patients and in none of the 19 non-rapid-cycling patients. Elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone levels were present in 92% of the rapid-cycling group v 32% of the non-rapid-cycling group. Abnormalities of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis, some of which may become apparent only during treatment with lithium carbonate, appear to interact with a predisposition to bipolar illness to produce rapid-cycling. These overt and covert abnormalities may help explain the reported efficacy of thyroid in treating "periodic catatonia" and rapid-cycling.
D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007030:Hypothalamo-Hypophyseal System / Q000503:physiopathology; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000503:physiopathology; D008094:Lithium / Q000009:adverse effects; D016651:Lithium Carbonate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013961:Thyroid Gland / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013972:Thyrotropin / Q000097:blood
D016651:Lithium Carbonate; D013972:Thyrotropin; D008094:Lithium