Iodine Influences Rat Hippocampus & Cerebral Cortex

Local blood flow in the dorsal hippocampus and cerebellar cortex in progeny of iodine-deficient rats

March 2006

Gabrichidze GO, Lazrishvili NI, Metreveli DS, Bekaia GL, Mitagvariia NP.

Experimental studies show depressive behavior in rats caused by hypothyroidism and antidepressant effect of thyroid hormones. The present study analyses changes in the hippocampal and cerebellar cortex local blood flow in the progeny of rats suffering from iodine deficiency before mating and during the whole period of gestation. The diet with very low iodine content results in a decrease of local blood flow in both brain structures, but the greatest changes were observed in hippocampus. Addition of the iodine to the diet eliminates the above blood flow changes.

I've recently become very interested in iodine and its relationship with human health. The hippocampus is known for its involvement in memory and learning, as well as mood. It is known that and encouraging to see that iodine is at work in many different part of the body, including the brain, and not just in the thyroid. Whether these effects mentioned in the above study are from increased thyroid hormone (indirectly) or a more direct influence of iodine in the brain itself is not known from the abstract above; However, I've come across other articles that indicate that iodine is in fact present in large quantities in the brain.

In Alzheimer's disease, the hippocampus is one of the first regions of the brain to suffer damage; memory problems and disorientation appear among the first symptoms.

Additionally...

The cerebral cortex is a structure within the brain that plays a key role in memory, attention, perceptual awareness, thought, language, and consciousness.

Jason