We keep seeing papers which add to the list of things that thyroid hormones affect.
But I wasn't expecting this!
How thyroid hormone fuels the drive to explore
Research in mice reveals previously unknown role for hormone in altering brain wiring to shape behavior
Date:
August 22, 2024
Source:
Harvard Medical School
Summary:
Research in mice sheds light on how thyroid hormone alters wiring in the brain. Findings reveal that thyroid hormone syncs up the brain and body to drive exploratory behavior. Researchers say their work could illuminate new treatments for certain psychiatric conditions.
Thyroid hormone plays a key role in regulating a range of physiologic functions, including metabolism, temperature, heart rate, and growth. It accomplishes this impressive array of activities by interacting with almost every organ system in the body. Yet despite a long history of research on how thyroid hormone influences different organs, its effects on arguably the most crucial organ -- the brain -- have remained shrouded in mystery.
In fact, a 2024 study led by the same researchers linked higher thyroid hormone levels in U.S. adults to greater employment levels and more hours worked.
Looks like they have some interesting studies; thanks for sharing Helvella. I certainly feel I’m more productive work wise now my thyroid levels (& key vitamins) are optimal.
I think the Thai study referenced in the link (looking to investigate whether long term trauma from the 2004 tsunami has affected thyroid health in the local population) could certainly be impactful.
Is it the results of the paper that surprises you helvella or the fact that someone has gone to the bother of doing the research at all?
I think many ‘old hands’ suffering hypothyroidism and many years of (perhaps) Hashi flares could have told the researchers of this phenomenon.
The problem is that nobody who could be helping, listens.
Still it’s good to have it researched and recorded. When will it ever become useful to health practitioners who continue to be deaf, dumb and blind to the real effects of hypothyroidism?
It is largely that this has made it through all the barriers to be researched and written up.
Also, the specificity of the observations.
If I was discussing the effects of thyroid on behaviour, it is quite likely that something in this general direction would come up and be accepted on the basis of our experiences.
But this seems to go further by implying a mechanism beyond the obvious. That is, if you are feeling cold, low mood, muscles not working well, etc., it is not surprising if you don't want to go exploring. And some who are towards the hyper end seem not to want to be still. As I read it, this paper seems to suggest that the effect is on top of these - and not just consequential to the direct impacts of low or high thyroid hormone on the rest of our bodies and minds.
helvella, thank you for posting, interesting but not too surprising. I never felt well just on levothyroxine. My brain fog reduced somewhat, but once on Liothyronine all brain fog went. (I do still have off days, I have Hashis) I have always enjoyed research work but once I became hypo it was no longer possible, I did even think I was developing dementia. Now retired and with T3 I can “research” again.
I saw on the news yesterday the shocking numbers of people affected by long Covid and unable to work. I wondered if there might be funding given to a medical research team to check all long Covid sufferers for thyroid hormone levels. I wonder what percentage might have low T3 and whether T3 would help them!
I do wonder whether those dimmed out symptoms could lead to dementia or further cognitive problems - i have trouble iterating words which makes me feel very unconfident in work - if its not addressed? Its so awful!
It's only my having tried to sort out my own health issues on here and with a couple of books - that took me hours and hours to read, memorise and understand have I come to understand why I am as I am :
Yes, one's confidence is robbed - and the harder you try to rectify the problem the more likely you are to fall foul again, and it becomes a viscous circle -
working out how to break the circle - for me - is having enough T3 thyroid hormone circulating in my blood stream -
though the NHS and guidelines will tell me differently and consider I'm ' good to go ' with a T3 @ 25% and a T4 at 110% through the ranges -
and on a blood test I had to pay for myself as my doctor couldn't/wouldn't arrange these on the NHS - and phoned the NHS Laboratory to ask if I paid could they run the test and bill me the £34.00 and then refused to see anything wrong with the results and refused me a trial of any other treatment !
pennyannie how awful to be treated as you have been by your GP. He/she needs to go back to meds school/reform school. Anyone would think that they personally would be paying for your treatment for thyroid issues. Shocking.
Yes - I'm so much better staying away and self medicating - working to my own guidelines and ranges - since there aren't any for those with Graves Disease and post RAI thyroid ablation :
probably have some PTSD from all that I went through - details on my Profile page if interested:
Very interesting - the specificity of "exploring" in particular. Exploring takes resilience (if I lose my way, not to get disheartened), open mindedness (I am interested in what I discover and not attached to a particular outcome), security (I am safe, I trust my decision making), sequencing (I can do X then Y or Z to keep moving forwards, both are good), tolerance for risk taking (I can evaluate choices and make a selection based on weighing up all the factors)... So many aspects of thinking and being that are challenged by low thyroid. I see this in my behaviours - wanting to play it safe, wanting to keep life the same / predictable, wanting a clear step by step process, feeling highly anxious when without "a map", hating surprises, hating relying on other people who can be random/ wanting to be totally independent etc etc. sometimes I think my whole personality is low thyroid.
so refreshing to see this in print . Even though we are familiar with the effect in ourselves, it's so nice to see some curious minds are thinking about it.
having a wife who goes hypo or hyper seems to be good for thyroid research.
Helvella Thank You for another Great Post. I can tell you from my personal experiences after my TT I had to go off my T4 meds preping for my RAI. I was on T3 sole. Trust me I had a very very fast awakening how one can not function with out Thyroids/ Thyroid meds. I couldn't even lift my head off the pillow. I just couldn't function. I could not wait to get back on thyroid meds. I think most people unless they have thyroid issues are not aware how a small butterfly like in our throat has such a Tremendous effect on us from top to bottom and everything in between.
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