Background: Hypothyroidism is an endocrine disorder that is seen much more commonly in females than in males. This could perhaps be due to factors that confer protection against the development of hypothyroidism in males. The male sex hormone testosterone would have protective action on the different systems, probably due to a mechanism of action which is complementary.
Aims and Objective: To investigate the association between serum testosterone level, audiovisual reaction time, and working memory score in newly diagnosed hypothyroid and euthyroid men.
Materials and Methods: This was a comparative study. 15 newly diagnosed hypothyroid males between 18 and 45 years of age, recruited from the Endocrinology Department of MS Ramaiah Medical College Hospital, Bangalore, and 15 euthyroid males were assessed for audiovisual reaction time, working memory, serum testosterone, T4, and serum thyroid hormones (TSH).
Results: Independent t-test between hypothyroid and euthyroid groups revealed that there was statistically significant difference in group mean audio-visual reaction time, working memory, serum T4, and TSH levels (P < 0.05).
Conclusion: Hypothyroid patients had longer audiovisual reaction time and the working memory scores were reduced. The serum T4 level was lower and serum TSH level was higher, but the serum testosterone level was not significantly different compared to euthyroid subjects.
Key words: Reaction Time; Working Memory; n-back Task; Thyroxine; Testosterone
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