[Prevalence of thyroid disorders in patients diagnosed with depression]

Thyroid function and mental disorders: an insight into the complex interaction

OBJECTIVE

To assess the serum levels of Thyroxine (T4), Triiodothyronine (T3) and the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in patients with depression.

METHODS

Sixty clinically diagnosed and drug naive depressed patients and an equal number of healthy, age and sex matched control subjects were included in this study. The Ham-D scale was used to classify the degree of depression into the mild, moderate and the severe grades. The biochemical parameters (T3, T4 and TSH) were estimated by using commercially available kits. The data were analyzed by using the SPSS-10 software, one way ANOVA and the χ2 test.

RESULT

The female depressive (n = 48) cases outnumbered the male depressive cases. The distributions of the patients in the mild, moderate and the severe categories were similar. A significant decline in the T3 level and an elevation in the T4 level were found in the depressive cases as compared to those in the healthy controls. ANOVA with multiple comparisons testing among the patient group showed no significant difference in the TSH level when the depressive cases with various degrees of depression were compared. A total of twelve depressive patients were found to have thyroid abnormalities.

CONCLUSION

This study therefore observed the presence of thyroid dysfunction among the depressive cases, which is most often characterized as the "Lower Thyroid Syndrome". Thus, the inclusion of the thyroid screening test among the depressive patients may be helpful in the proper management of the cases.

Depression bei Hashimoto-Enzephalopathie

Characteristic clinical findings of Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) are stroke-like episodes, epileptic seizures, myoclonus, psychosis, and progressive cognitive impairment. Diagnosis of HE is supported by elevated antithyroid antibodies, an abnormal EEG, and by good response to steroids. We report on a 74-year-old female patient with a severe depressive episode who showed no treatment response to citalopram 40 mg/day and venlafaxine 150 mg/day. Diagnostic examination revealed an abnormal EEG, elevated thyroid peroxidase antibodies (TPO-Ab), and older postinflammatory changes in thyroidal sonography. We diagnosed a depression in HE and began treatment with prednisolone 70 mg/day with stepwise dose reduction, continuing treatment with venlafaxine 150 mg/day. Within 4 weeks of treatment, the severe depressive episode disappeared as well as abnormal EEG. In addition, serum values of TPO-Ab decreased. In HE, depressive symptoms can possibly be seen in a subgroup of patients or in the early course of the disease. Diagnosis of HE should be included in diagnostic procedures in cases of therapy-refractory depression because of a good response of HE to steroids.

Psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses in thyroid disorders: a cross-sectional study

Objective Endocrine dysfunction may produce symptoms that are difficult to distinguish from the clinical manifestations of psychiatric disorders. In particular, the function of the hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroidal axis is known to be associated with a number of psychiatric abnormalities, such as depression and anxiety. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that depression is more commonly encountered in hypothyroidism, while anxiety is more prevalent in hyperthyroidism. Additionally, we aimed to evaluate the correlations of the intensity of the psychiatric symptomatology in these patients with the specific parameters of thyroid function, such as levels of TSH, T3 and T4. Method Patients newly diagnosed as having thyroid disorders were included in the study. They were classified into five study groups (according to the results of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), free triiodothyronine (fT3), free thyroxine (fT4) and autoantibody (anti-thyroglobulin antibodies and anti-microsomal antibodies) measurements): hypothyroid, hyperthyroid, subclinical hypothyroid, subclinical hyperthyroid, and euthyroid Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Psychopathological symptoms were evaluated on the 17-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HDRS), Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI), BSI Sub-scales and Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HAD). Psychiatric diagnoses were performed using DSM-IV-SCID (Structured Clinical Interview for DSM). The relationship between the results of the psychiatric evaluation and thyroid function tests was assessed statistically by ANOVA and Pearson correlation tests. Results Eighty patients (68 female and 12 male), with a mean age of 42.5±13.4 years, were evaluated. A positive correlation between the total BSI scores and TSH levels (r = 0.65, P = 0.01) was noted in the hypothyroid (n=25) group. Hyperthyroid patients (n=22) showed a positive correlation between HDRS scores and fT4 levels (r = 0.62, P = 0.01). The BSI scores in hypo- and hyperthyroidism were significantly higher than normal (P<0.05). In the subclinical hypothyroid (n=7), subclinical hyperthyroid (n=11), and euthyroid Hashimoto's thyroiditis (n=15) groups no correlation was found between thyroid function tests and HDRS, BSI, and HAD scores. Conclusion The results indicate that patients with thyroid disorders have high levels of anxiety and depressive symptoms. Thirty-five patients (43%) out of 80 had an axis I psychiatric disorder. However, our findings did not support an association between high levels of depression and hypothyroidism or between high levels of anxiety and hyperthyroidism. Moreover, this study did not reveal any specific psychiatric manifestation of hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism.

Biological risk factors for late life depression

Depression in late life is a recognised public health problem. After establishing socio-demographic and psychological risk factors for depression, epidemiological research has focused on biological factors. This review summarises the evidence on the associations of cerebrovascular pathology, inflammation, and endocrine and nutritional status with depression in the elderly. The most consistent finding in biological psychiatry is the disturbance of the hypothalamic-pituary-adrenal axis in depressed persons. About half of the patients with severe depression have a disturbed glucocorticoid feedback mechanism and many exhibit hypercortisolism. Longitudinal studies show that this endocrine dysfunction increases the risk of relapse. More recently, silent brain infarcts and cerebral white matter lesions on MRI were found to be more frequent in the depressed elderly than in controls. Cerebral small vessel disease has been rediscovered as a potential cause of depression. Furthermore, there is evidence of immune activation in depressed persons. However, it remains unclear as to whether inflammation contributes to the pathological process as longitudinal studies are lacking. Clinical studies have also related many nutrients to psychological symptoms, but the evidence in elderly persons is consistent only for some vitamin deficiencies. In conclusion, despite a substantial body of literature on biological correlates of late life depression, little is known about causal relations. Prospective population-based studies are warranted.