Lithium Levels: The Influence on Polarity of BP

The authors of a study in International Clinical Psychopharmacology tested whether the polarity of recurrence of bipolar disorder is related to lithium levels. 86 DSM-IV bipolar patients on lithium monotherapy were monitored for psychopathology and lithium levels for 2.5 years. Manic or mixed symptoms occurred in 27 patients, and depressive symptoms occurred in 22 patients. After accounting for other external confounders, the authors found that average lithium levels were lower for patients who experienced manic or mixed recurring symptoms and higher for patients who experienced depressive symptoms, suggesting that higher, rather than lower, lithium levels are required to prevent manic episodes.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=Abstract&list_uids=17414737

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