lithium

New Knowledge about How Lithium Reduces Mania in Bipolar Disorder Opens Research Path to More Effective Treatments

After searching for decades, researchers have discovered important clues about how lithium, a mainstay of treatment for many people with bipolar disorder, alters the function of neurons to prevent manic episodes.

Large Study Showed Lithium Lowered Suicide Risk in Patients with Bipolar Disorder

In an eight-year study of more than 50,000 people with bipolar disorder, researchers found that the risk of attempted or completed suicide was reduced significantly when the patients were treated with lithium, compared to an alternative drug called valproate.

Shrinking of Hippocampus in Bipolar Disorder Patients

In the first neuroimaging study of its kind, scientists show that long-term lithium treatment for bipolar disorder can positively influenc

Large Study Ties Genes to Variable Lithium Response in Bipolar Disorder

Lithium is a first-line treatment for bipolar disorder. But it only works well for about one-third of patients. The variation in response is partly due to genetic factors.