Correlation of Thyroxine and Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone with Personality Measurements: A Study in Psychosomatic Patients and Healthy Subjects

Abstract

A comparative study performed in psychosomatic patients and healthy subjects reveals different profiles of thyroxine (T₄) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) correlations with personality measurements (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI); Sensation-Seeking Scale (SSS), and Susceptibility to Punishment Scale (SP). Three distinct sets of results may be enumerated, namely: (1) a negative correlation between sensation-seeking and TSH; (2) a positive correlation between the most indicative scales predisposing to depression-anxiety (hypochondriasis, depression, social introversion, susceptibility to punishment) and T₄, and (3) the Hypomania Scale (Ma) showed a significant negative correlation with T₄ in the patient group and a positive but nonsignificant relationship in the healthy group.

Thyroid Hormone Correlates of Sensation Seeking and Anxiety in Healthy Human Females

“…The negative relationship between the thyroid axis and sensation seeking might be produced by hypofunction in the noradrenergic system, perhaps by decreased activity of dopamine-P-hydroxylase. since a negative relationship between sensation seeking and do pamine P-hydroxylase activity was found by Umberkontan-Wiita et al [31 ] and by Ballenger et al [29], Despite some discrepancies, the present results and those of the Arqué et al [18] study seem to prove the exis tence of a relationship between elevated hypothalamic inhibition of the thyroid axis and the trait of sensation seeking.…”

“…A possible explanation for the above mentioned dis crepancies between the study by Arqué et al [ 18] and the present study, might be that relationships between thy roid hormones and personality are different in each gen der. This hypothesis is reinforced by gender differences in the thyroid function [ 19,20].…”

“…All of these traits have been widelv studied from a psychobiological point of view [11][12][13][14][15], A positive correlation between basal thyroid hormone levels and extraversión has been reported [ 16. 17], Arqué et al [18] found a positive correlation between basal thy roxine (T4) levels and the Thrill and Adventure Seeking (TAS) subscale from the sensation-seeking scales; in this study a negative correlation was also found between basal plasma levels of thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and the total sensation seeking score. These results were obtained in a sample composed of both male and female subjects.…”

“…Our findings only partially confirm results from previous studies on relations between sensation seeking and pituitary-thyroid hormones. Arqué et al [18] found a negative relationship between TSH levels and SSS total score, and a positive relationship between T4 levels and the TAS subscale in a small sample of healthy males and females. In the same study, in a larger sample of psychoso matic patients, only a negative relationship between the ES subscale and TSH was found.…”

“…Nevertheless, important differences between both studies should be considered. In the study by Arqué et al [18]. females were not controlled for their menstrual cycle, and separate results were not presented for each gender.…”