| At present there are few anatomical and pathological | | | | malformations due to hypothyroidism are diverse and |
| studies on the structure of brain of those people | | | | comprehend those related to higher mental function |
| suffering hypothyroidism in world areas known as | | | | such as intelligence, memory, movements, judgment, |
| having this disease in most of the population during | | | | abstraction, speech, etc |
| many years (endemic clinical hypothyroidism). | | | | Defects on neurons are particularly encountered on |
| Subclinical hypothyroidism is more unexplored and | | | | the cell size which is smaller compared to normal cells |
| unsuspected than clinical form, and its presence even | | | | and the dendritic branching was clearly decreased |
| on people of developed countries is unknown. | | | | compared with normal subjects. |
| In the same way there are few studies such as | | | | The severity of hypothyroidism and the time of the |
| magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or CT-scan in | | | | whole process establish the extent of the damage in |
| people with some degree of hypothyroidism. | | | | the functions and structures above mentioned. |
| Therefore is difficult now to have an entire picture | | | | It is evident that iodine deficiency contributes to low |
| about the whole characteristics of this disease, since a | | | | production of thyroid hormones in thyroid gland leading |
| weak correlation can be established between low | | | | to a very identifiable hypothyroid syndrome |
| levels of thyroid hormones in blood and the impact on | | | | characterized by specific signs and symptoms, |
| diverse structures of the nervous system, mainly brain | | | | however what is the extent of lesions affecting normal |
| and spinal cord. | | | | function and structure of nervous system in an |
| Until now, the available anatomical and pathological | | | | individual?, Such question still remain unanswered. The |
| data show that the main regions of the brain of | | | | importance to answer such question lay on the impact |
| patients suffering hypothyroidism are normal. | | | | that an adequate supplementation of thyroid hormones |
| Nevertheless, abnormalities can be demonstrated at | | | | can offer. |
| the level of brain weights which have been anomalous. | | | | Even when the anatomical abnormalities produced in |
| Researchers studying brains of patients with | | | | brain and in nervous system (as in other organs in the |
| hypothyroidism have found that their weights are | | | | body) by iodine deficiency and then by hypothyroidism, |
| under normal range, i.e. weight of hypothyroid individual | | | | could be completely reversed after treatment, |
| is around 1100 g whereas weight of euthyroid (normal) | | | | dysfunctions at neural level should be avoided at all, |
| individual is around 1350 g. In addition they have found in | | | | because can produce occupational, familial, social and |
| most profound studies abnormalities in cerebral tissue | | | | other kind of problems. So the best strategy to |
| like a thin cerebral cortex, and an important decrease | | | | contend with hypothyroidism is still prevention through |
| in the number of neurons on it. | | | | and adequate supplementation of iodine on diet. |
| The areas involved in neuronal decrease and | | | | |