LEADER

Have you experienced being a leader?

The initiator, the manager, the officer-in-charge, the boss… These are some of the different styles in addressing a person who is in authority.

Merriam-Webster defined it this way:

lea.der
\ˈlē-dər\
plural leaders

NOUN
1. a person who has commanding authority or influence
2. a person who directs a military force or unit

A leader is someone who guides a group of individuals into achieving a task or a common goal. For different people have different ways of getting something they want, it is impossible to achieve something as one. That is when a leader takes the pedestal and shine.

Different situations call for different leaders. In our classroom, we have teachers. Cities have mayors. Homes have parents. And even in our own body, a leader works 24/7. It may not be too striking once you see it, but it can impede your body’s normal function once it's “associates” augment or dwindle. The Hypothalamus… or as how I say it---The Hyperthalamus.

Yep! Once again this often times neglected tissue of the body is on the spot light of my blog. And this time it has more things under its sleeve to show off.

As what have been mentioned above, the hypothalamus is one of the “initiators” of the body. As we all know it produces hormones necessary for the maintenance of our internal “yin and yang”. As the tissue which controls the master of other glands, it is important that we evaluate the hypothalamus’s function once in a while. Just like a normal leader.

A meticulous critic for a president, tons and tons of evaluation papers for teachers, these are some techniques in which a person can test and evaluate a leader’s performance. As for the hormones of the hypothalamus we have… hormones?? Hormones for hormones. That is basically the principle of the tests being performed to check for the normality of the three major hormones it secretes namely: the Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone (TRH), Corticotropin Releasing Hormone (CRH), and Gonadotropin Releasing Hormone (GnRH).

TRH Test
The TRH test is a laboratory procedure to evaluate a person’s production of Thyroid Releasing Hormone. Abnormal production of TRH may cause conditions such as hypothyroidism. This condition is caused by a damaged hypothalamus or pituitary gland. The levels of TSH are measured at different time intervals by extracting a sample of blood. Prior to that, a small amount of TRH is introduced into a person’s system.

Logically speaking, when a person with a normal TRH level undergoes this test, his/her TSH levels will increase following injection.

Unchanged levels of TRH indicate a positive diagnosis for hypothyroidism. Other test to confirm the condition may be utilized after.

CRH Test

This test is done for evaluating a disease called Cushing’s syndrome. It is an abnormality of the hormone called Cortisol which again the hypothalamus initiates to be secreted. This is first by stimulating the anterior pituitary to produce Adenocorticotropic hormone which will then stimulate the secretion of Cortisol. Being a disease that can also manifest in horse and dogs, it has one specific cause which is a tumor in the master gland.

The test has almost the same procedure as the TRH test. Aside from the different time intervals at which blood is taken for evaluation of the progressive rise and fall of ACTH and Cortisol levels, blood is also taken before the test to determine the baseline ACTH and Cortisol levels. CRH is then administered intravenously. Then results are plotted and evaluated.

GnRH Test

Feeling a bit shorter than your classmates? Still heading for the kid’s section of a department store? Or just looking too “baby face”? You must have abnormally low levels of GnRH. I recommend you to undergo this test

GnRH as we all know helps in the normal development of secondary sexual characteristics. It stimulates the production of LH and FSH in the anterior pituitary. LH or Luteinizing hormone and FSH or Follicle-stimulating hormone is what we check after GnRH is administered intravenously as a bolus. Three blood samples in a total are needed for evaluation following extraction of intervals of 20 and 60 minutes. Results are plotted and interpreted.

Basically, normal patients would have a rise in a doubling manner of LH and FSH every, after 20 minutes. An abnormality of the gonads will cause an exaggerated result to the test. While a result having no progression or a result that remains flat is a characteristic of a person having pituitary or hypothalamic disease.

These three simple tests are very useful in evaluating the condition of the hypothalamus. It does not only help us assess whether or not this leader of the body is doing its job properly, it also helps us find out if this leader has a problem. Remember that a leader isn’t always perfect. Not too often but sometimes he/she needs someone or something to help him/her out. I’m sure everyone of you knows what I’m talking about. ;-)

You may click unto these links for further knowledge about the tests:

1. TRH Test
2. CRH Test
3. GnRH Test

References:

Clinical Chemistry: Principles, Procedures, Correlations 5th Edition by M. Bishop et. al

Clinical Chemistry: A Fundamental Textbook by D. Calbreath