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Correlation between thyroid hormones and the need for reduced duration of sleep for patients with bipolar disorder

HUANG Jia1, CHEN Jun1, WANG Yong1, HONG Wu1, YUAN Cheng-mei2, WANG Zuo-wei1, SU You-song1, HU Ying-yan1, CAO Lan1, FANG Yi-ru1   

  1. 1.Department of Mood Disorders, Shanghai Mental Health Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China; 2.First Clinical Department, Shanghai Mental Health Centre, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai 200030, China; 3.Shanghai Hongkou District Mental Health Center, Shanghai 200083, China
  • Online:2016-05-28 Published:2016-05-26
  • Supported by:

    National Science and Technology Pillar Program during “the 12th Five-year Plan” Period(2012BAI01B04); Training Program of Major Research Plan of National Natural Science Foundation of China, 91232719; Project of Shanghai Mental Disease Clinical Center, 2014； National Key Clinical Program-Shanghai Mental Health Centre, 2011-873； National Natural Science Foundation of China, 81201056, 81301159； Research Program for Young Scientists of Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Health, 201344127； College Level International Cooperation Projects of Shanghai Mental Health Center, 2013-YJGJ-06

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Abstract:

Objective To explore the correlation between the serum thyroid hormone level and the need for reduced duration of sleep for patients with bipolar disorder (BPD). Methods One hundred and twenty two BPD patients were assigned to two groups on the basis of whether the duration of sleep needed to be reduced. Demographic characteristics and thyroid hormone level were compared between two groups. Spearmans analysis was used to analyze the correlation between the thyroid hormone level and clinical symptoms for two groups. Logistic regression analysis was employed to assess risk factors for the duration of sleep needed to be reduced. Results Compared with patients whose duration of sleep did not need to be reduced, patients whose duration of sleep needed to be reduced had a lower serum thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) level [(2.46±1.74) mU/L vs (3.47±2.65) mU/L] and a higher tetraiodothyronine (T4) level [(90.91±31.59) nmol/L vs (76.80±38.55) nmol/L]. The differences were statistically significant (P=0.046，P=0.048). In patients whose duration of sleep needed to be reduced, thyroid hormone level was positively correlated to clinical symptoms such as psychomotor agitation, excessive worry, increased social activities, nagging, and the use of psychoactive substances. In patients whose duration of sleep did not need to be reduced, only the serum triiodothyronine (T3) level was positively correlated to increased social activities (P=0.329). Logistic regression analysis revealed that TSH and T4 levels were correlated to the need for reduced duration of sleep (OR=1.303, P=0.023; OR=0.986，P=0.045). Conclusion The thyroid hormone level may be a potential factor influencing the duration of sleep and other clinical symptoms in patients with BPD. The correlation between thyroid hormones and the need for reduced duration of sleep may provide beneficial information for improving the treatment of BPD.

Key words: bipolar disorder, mania, thyroid hormone, reduced need for sleep