Impairment of attention networks in patients with untreated hyperthyroidism.
Attention disorders are common symptoms in patients with untreated hyperthyroidism. Nevertheless, it is unknown whether they represent a global attention deficit or selective impairment of attention networks. Thirty-seven patients with hyperthyroidism were recruited and underwent the Attention Network Test (ANT), which provided measures of three independent attention networks (alerting, orienting and executive control), before being treated with methimazole. This study demonstrated that patients with untreated hyperthyroidism had significant deficits in the alerting and executive control networks. Interestingly, a significant positive association was also found between T4 level and the value of the executive network in patients with hyperthyroidism. These results suggest that the patients with hyperthyroidism may not just exist a specific impairment of attention networks, and there was some relationship between the level of T4, not T3 or TSH, and the value of the executive control network in patients with hyperthyroidism.
Department of Neurology, the First Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, PR China.
Lili
L
Yuan
Department of Neurology, the First Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, PR China.
Yanghua
Y
Tian
Department of Neurology, the First Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, PR China.
Fangfang
F
Zhang
Department of Endocrinology, the First Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, PR China.
Fang
F
Dai
Department of Endocrinology, the First Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, PR China.
Li
L
Luo
Laboratory of Neuroimaging, Department of Psychiatry, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, One Gustave L. Levy Place, Box 1230, New York, NY 10029, USA.
Jin
J
Fan
Department of Neurology, the First Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, Anhui Province, PR China. Electronic address: wangkai1964@126.com.
Kai
K
Wang
D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003463:Cues; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006980:Hyperthyroidism / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011930:Reaction Time; D055815:Young Adult
Attention Network Test; Cognition; Hyperthyroidism; Thyroid hormones