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Verbal Memory Retrieval Deficits Associated With Untreated Hypothyroidism

Received December 20, 2004; revised April 3, 2006; accepted April 10, 2006. Drs. Miller, Parsons, Rasgon, Whybrow, and Bauer are associated with the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, University of California, Los Angeles, California. Drs. Martinez, K van Herle, and A van Herle are affiliated with the Department of Medicine, Division of Endocrinology, University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Silverman is affiliated with the Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles. Dr. Rasgon is also affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California. Dr. Bauer is also affiliated with the Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte, Berlin, Germany. Address correspondence to Dr. Bauer, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Charité Mitte (CCM), Schumannstr. 20/21, 10117 Berlin, Germany; michael.bauer{at}charite.de (e-mail).

The effects of inadequate thyroid hormone availability to the brain on adult cognitive function are poorly understood. This study assessed the effects of hypothyroidism on cognitive function using a standard neuropsychological battery in 14 patients suffering from untreated hypothyroidism and complaining of subjective cognitive difficulties in comparison with 10 age-matched healthy comparison subjects. Significant differences between groups were limited to verbal memory retrieval as measured by the California Verbal Learning Test (CVLT). On short delay free recall, long delay free recall, and long delay cued recall, significant differences remained between groups despite the limited statistical power of this study. There were no significant results found between groups on attentional or nonverbal tasks. Results suggest that hypothyroid-related memory deficits are not attributable to an attentional deficit but rather to specific retrieval deficits.

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