Thyroid function and brain structure: insight from a Mendelian randomization study.

Background: Thyroid hormones play a critical role in brain development. However, the precise causal associations between thyroid function and structural changes in specific brain regions remain uncertain.

Methods: We applied the univariate Mendelian randomization (UVMR) method to assess the causal effects of thyroid function on brain structure. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) data on thyroid-related traits from the ThyroidOmics consortium, including free thyroxine (FT4), free triiodothyronine (FT3), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), FT3/FT4 ratio, as well as dichotomized high and low TSH levels were used as exposures. GWAS data on cortical thickness, surface area, and volume of subcortical structures served as outcomes. Inverse-variance weighted (IVW) was the main estimate method. Subsequently, multivariable MR (MVMR) was conducted to validate significant causal associations identified in UVMR.

Results: UVMR analysis identified 1 significant and 13 nominal significant causal relationships (P<0.05). Genetically predicted FT4 showed a statistically significant inverse association with putamen volume (β= -71.91, 95% confidence interval: -112.11 to -31.71). These findings were robust in sensitivity analysis. MVMR analysis further confirmed a persistent causal relationship between FT4 and putamen volume after adjusting for FT3, TSH, and neuropsychiatric disorders. Functional enrichment analyses indicated the pathways by which FT4 influences putamen volume may be related to thyroid hormone signaling pathway, sodium-independent organic anion transport, and Rap1 signaling pathway.

Conclusion: MR analysis provides evidence for causal relationships between thyroid function and brain structural alterations, particularly highlighting the impact of FT4 on putamen volume. Further research is warranted to elucidate the underlying mechanisms by which thyroid hormones modulate brain structure.