title: Grey matter abnormalities in untreated hyperthyroidism: a voxel-based morphometry study using the DARTEL approach.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hyperthyroidism is frequently associated with pronounced neuropsychiatric symptoms such as impulsiveness, irritability, poor concentration, and memory impairments. Functional neuroimaging has revealed changes in cerebral metabolism in hyperthyroidism, but regional changes in cortical morphology associated with specific neurological deficits have not been studied so far. To investigate the pathophysiology underlying hyperthyroid-associated neural dysfunction, we compared grey matter volume (GMV) between adult hyperthyroid patients and matched healthy controls using voxel-based morphometry (VBM).
  
  
  METHODS
  High resolution 3D T1-weighted images were acquired by 3T MRI from 51 hyperthyroid patients and 51 controls. VBM analysis was performed using SPM8. Correlations between regional GMV and both serum free thyroid hormone (TH) concentrations and disease duration were assessed by multiple regression analysis.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to controls, GM volumes in the bilateral hippocampus, parahippocampal gyrus, calcarine, lingual gyrus, and left temporal pole were lower and bilateral supplementary motor area GMV higher in hyperthyroid patients. Serum free triiodothyronine (FT3) concentration was negatively correlated with the normalized regional volume (NRV) of the left parahippocampal gyrus and serum free thyroxine (FT4) concentration negatively correlated with the NRV of the left hippocampus and right parahippocampal gyrus. Disease duration was negatively correlated with the NRV of the left hippocampus, bilateral parahippocampal gyrus, and left temporal pole.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hyperthyroid patients exhibited reduced GMV in regions associated with memory, attention, emotion, vision, and motor planning. Negative correlations between GMV and both free TH and disease duration suggest that chronic TH elevation induces abnormalities in the adult cortex.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China; Department of Radiology, Sichuan Provincial Corps Hospital, Chinese People's Armed Police Forces, Leshan 614000, China. Electronic address: will.zhang.1111@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China; Department of Radiology, No. 324 Hospital of PLA, Chongqing 400020, China. Electronic address: songlh1023@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Lingheng
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Song
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China. Electronic address: xuntaoyin@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Xuntao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China. Electronic address: jiuquanzhang@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Jiuquan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China. Electronic address: cqliuchen@foxmail.com.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China. Electronic address: wangjian_811@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China. Electronic address: zhoudq77@sina.com.
authors.forename: Daiquan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Endocrinology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China. Electronic address: chenbing3@medmail.com.cn.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Southwest Hospital, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China. Electronic address: haitaolii023@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Haitao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lii
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000473:pathology* / Q000628:therapy; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: DARTEL; Hyperthyroidism; Magnetic resonance imaging; Voxel-based morphometry