ZusammenfassungThyroid hormones have systemic effects on the human body and play a key role in the development and function of virtually all tissues over the lifespan including the brain. Thyroid function is narrowly regulated by the hypothalamus-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis. Variation in thyroid function is affecting the brain and results in neurodevelopmental disturbances in newborns and children may trigger dementia and neurodegeneration in the elderly population. Here, I will use the large population-based NAKO dataset to validate and refine these associations in adults as well as to discover new ones. The second aim of this research is to assess whether there are effects on thyroid function attributed to variation of the organs that are directly involved in the thyroid hormone production, particularly the hypothalamus. Finally, we will use the Mendelian randomization framework (once genetic data is available) to assess causality of the revealed associations. Our results will provide insights into the relationship between thyroid and brain function, and will create a basis for establishing new hypothesis on this topic.

Schlüsselwörter Causal-inference brain brain-age brain-health thyroid

EinrichtungenUniversitätsmedizin Greifswald