title: Study of cognitive functions in newly diagnosed cases of subclinical and clinical hypothyroidism.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hypothyroidism is associated with significant neurocognitive deficits because hypothyroidism prevents the brain from adequately sustaining the energy consuming processes needed for neurotransmission, memory, and other higher brain functions. Hence, the study was done to assess the cognitive functions of newly diagnosed subclinical and clinical hypothyroid patients by evoked response potential P300.
  
  
  METHODS
  75 patients each of newly diagnosed subclinical and clinical hypothyroid patients attending endocrinology clinic and 75 healthy age and sex matched euthyroid controls were considered for the study. P300 was recorded with Record Medicare System Polyrite, Chandigarh using auditory "oddball paradigm". The data was analyzed using ANOVA followed by post Tukey's test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Newly diagnosed clinical hypothyroid patients showed a significant increase in P300 latency compared to control (P < 0.05) and subclinical cases (P < 0.01) while there was no significant difference between the P300 latency of subclinical cases and control group. Also, there was no significant difference in P300 amplitude among the three groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  P300 latency in case of newly diagnosed hypothyroid clinical cases is significantly increased compared to newly diagnosed subclinical cases and control.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, P.G.I.M.S, Rohtak, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: Kirti
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, P.G.I.M.S, Rohtak, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: Joshil Kumar
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Behera
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, P.G.I.M.S, Rohtak, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: Sushma
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sood
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, P.G.I.M.S, Rohtak, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: Rajesh
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rajput
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, P.G.I.M.S, Rohtak, Haryana, India.
authors.lastname: Satpal
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, P.G.I.M.S, Rohtak, Haryana, India.
authors.forename: Prashant
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Praveen
keywords: Cognition; P300; event related potentials; hypothyroidism