Title: Study of Thyroid Abnormalities in Psychiatric Out Patients with Depression At A Tertiatry Care Centre in Central India
Authors: Dr Parul Nema, Dr C V Kulkarni, Dr Meena Mittal, Dr Vishnu K Gupta, Dr Rangbhulan Razdar
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.18535/jmscr/v3i10.03
Abstract
Introduction Thyroid hormones have a profound influence on the human brain and behaviour, and the interrelationship between thyroid dysfunction and psychiatric disturbances has been well documented. Up to one-third of psychiatric patients may demonstrate thyroid function test abnormalities that do not always reflect true thyroid disease, but rather are a manifestation of secondary effects on one or more levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis.
Materials And Methods Samples collected from 69 O.P.D. patients who are newly diagnosed cases of depression, not on medication and more than 18 yrs of age. Patient having thyroid disorder or on medication affecting thyroid function are excluded from study. Serological test Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) Test, Total T4/ Total Thyroxine, Total T3 / Total Triiodothyronine are done for identifying thyroid functionabnormality in psychiatric patients.
Results- Out of 69 psychiatric out patients with clinical diagnosis of depression investigated for thyroid abnormalities, Males were 37 & Female were 32. The mean age of the study subjects was 35.23 yr. Abnormal thyroid function test was observed in 26 out of 69 (37.6%) patients.
Conclusion- As psychiatric disturbances may be a manifestation of thyroid disease, clinical assessment of physical signs and symptoms of thyroid disease should be a routine element of psychiatric evaluation. If there is suspicion for thyroid disease, measurement of TSH with a sensitive method should be the first test obtained.
Key Words- Brain, HPT –axis,T3, T4, TSH, interrelationship.
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