Clinical and immunological aspects of cognitive functions in children with hypothyroidism
Received: 2026-06-17 05:53:42
Published: 2026-06-17
Abstract
Hypothyroidism is one of the most significant disorders in pediatric endocrinology, as thyroid hormone deficiency can adversely affect physical growth, metabolic processes, and central nervous system development in children. Thyroid hormones are essential for neurogenesis, synaptogenesis, myelination, and the maturation of higher nervous activity during childhood. Therefore, hypothyroidism may result not only in somatic abnormalities but also in cognitive impairment, including deficits in memory, attention, and thinking abilities.
In recent years, particular attention has been focused on autoimmune forms of hypothyroidism, especially autoimmune thyroiditis. Anti-thyroid peroxidase antibodies (Anti-TPO) are among the major laboratory markers of thyroid autoimmunity, and elevated levels may reflect not only thyroid tissue damage but also systemic immune activation. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test is considered a practical and sensitive screening tool for evaluating cognitive functions in children, as it enables assessment of both global cognitive performance and individual cognitive domains.
This study is relevant because it aims to determine the relationship between autoimmune activity and cognitive dysfunction in children with hypothyroidism, thereby contributing to the early identification of neurocognitive risk groups, optimization of clinical monitoring, and development of targeted screening strategies.
Keywords
List of references
About the Authors
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
