Bipolar disorder, cognitive functioning and hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid axis
Keywords:
Bipolar disorder, Hypothalamic-pituitary- thyroid axis, Neuropsychological functionsAbstract
The hypothalamic-pituitary- thyroid axis (HPT) in relation to bipolar disorder (BD) and neuropsychological functions has been studied little in the field of psychoneuroendocrinology. The aim of this study is to review the current status of the following subjects: (1) cognitive dysfunctions in BD as well as their hypothetic etiology; (2) response of the HPT axis in each phase of BD, and finally, (3) the connection between alterations in HPT and neuropsychological deficits.
After a careful analysis of the scientific literature, we conclude that more systematic research is needed because most of the issues, such as the role of HPT in BD and the implication of HPT in neuropsychological deficits, still remain unclear.