Step 2 Controls
We invite you to participate as a control person.
To be able to take a second step towards answering the question “Can the immune system contribute to brain fatigue in Graves’ disease?” we need to recruit 310 people with Graves’ disease to be examined at diagnosis and after 15-18 months and 120 control people. This study is based on a first step where we developed possible markers that the immune system is involved in the development of mental fatigue in Graves’ disease. We now need to see if this is true in another group of patients with Graves’ disease and compare the examinations against controls. We hope that the biomarkers can be tested further in a third step and then open up for new insights into the cause of mental fatigue.
CAN YOU JOIN?
To be able to participate in the study, you must:
- be between 18-72 years
- have normal thyroid function
- have met the conditions to carry out the study protocol in a satisfactory manner, you must not have any known neurological disease.
If this applies to you and you are interested in participating in the study, you can read on at your leisure.
WHAT WILL BE INVESTIGATED?
To evaluate mental symptoms, you will have to answer nine questionnaires, which takes about 1-1.5 hours. They concern mental fatigue, anxiety and depression, one is based on eye disease you can get in Graves’ disease, two are about quality of life and three about perceived stress and how to deal with it. You will also have to complete a short personality test.
Our study coordinator will take blood samples and our doctor and coordinator will go through a number of background factors such as past and present illnesses, medication, smoking, alcohol, pregnancies, contraception, work, socioeconomics, heredity, and origin. We may also check sick leave history against the Swedish Social Insurance Agency’s register.
You will undergo an in-depth study of brain activity using MEG, where electrodes are attached to the head. At MEG, a magnetic camera examination of the brain is always performed.
The study visit can be repeated after 15 months in the same way.
For controllers, a spinal fluid examination is not included.