PSYCHOPATHOLOGICAL AND COGNITIVE FEATURES IN SUBCLINICAL HYPOTHYROIDISM

1. To evaluate affective and cognitive dysfunctions in subjects with a marginal form of thyroid hypofunction the authors studied a populatio n of female goiter patients, divided in two groups on the basis of thy roid function. euthyroidism and subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH). 2. T he SCH patients were treated with levothyroxine (LT4) in order to obta in euthyroidism, as demonstrated by normalization of the hormonal patt ern. 3. Both groups were evaluated with a wide range of psychometric t ests (Wechsler memory test, scribble test, reaction times) and psychop athological rating scales (Hamilton rating scales for depression and a nxiety, brief psychiatric rating scale) at admission and after 3 month s. 4. At admission, a significant decrease in logical memory was found in SCH patients; no differences in affectivity ratings were found bet ween the groups. 5. After LT4 treatment, SCH patients showed a signifi cant improvement in some items of memory performance. 6. In conclusion , when interfering factors relating to the perception of disease were excluded by employing euthyroid goiter patients as a comparison group, SCH appeared associated only with memory impairment, while the impair ment of affective functions described in previous studies comparing SC H patients with normal controls was not confirmed. A significant impro vement of memory skills was induced by LT4 treatment in SCH patients. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Inc.