Impairment of attention networks in patients with untreated hyperthyroidism

• Attention networks in untreated hyperthyroid patients were explored using ANT task.
• Hyperthyroid patients had deficits in the alerting and executive control networks.
• Value of executive network was positively correlated with the T4 level in patients.
• These deficits may be involved in extensive brain and neurotransmitters disorders.

Attention disorders are common symptoms in patients with untreated hyperthyroidism. Nevertheless, it is unknown whether they represent a global attention deficit or selective impairment of attention networks. Thirty-seven patients with hyperthyroidism were recruited and underwent the Attention Network Test (ANT), which provided measures of three independent attention networks (alerting, orienting and executive control), before being treated with methimazole. This study demonstrated that patients with untreated hyperthyroidism had significant deficits in the alerting and executive control networks. Interestingly, a significant positive association was also found between T4 level and the value of the executive network in patients with hyperthyroidism. These results suggest that the patients with hyperthyroidism may not just exist a specific impairment of attention networks, and there was some relationship between the level of T4, not T3 or TSH, and the value of the executive control network in patients with hyperthyroidism.