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Lithium: Fifteen Years Later
Janusz K Rybakowski. Neuropsychobiology, 2024-11-07
Topic: Drug trials: efficacy and safety
BACKGROUND: The 75th anniversary of introducing lithium into modern psychiatry is recognized, attested by the 1949 paper of John Cade. About this event, my editorial in the special 2010 issue of Neuropsychobiology was titled "Lithium: Sixty Years Thereafter." Since then, fifteen more years have brought further information about lithium. This paper makes a narrative review of the most important articles published in this period. SUMMARY: The selected key literature of 2010-2024 addressed lithium prophylactic efficacy in bipolar disorder (BD), including pediatric, recurrent depression, and lithium augmentation of antidepressants in treatment-resistant depression (TRD). Novel data have been obtained for lithium adverse effects (kidney, thyroid) and beneficial outcomes of long-term lithium administration (anti-suicidal, neuroprotective, antiviral, and others). The results on the mechanisms of lithium action covered genetic investigations of the Consortium of Lithium Genetics (ConLiGen) and in vitro studies with induced pluripotent stem cells and lymphoblastoid cell lines. The underutilization of lithium nowadays was emphasized, and the ways to overcome it were considered. KEY MESSAGES: Lithium remains the choice drug for recurrence prevention in BD, also in adolescents, and a significant option for augmentation of antidepressants in TRD. The adverse side effects should be carefully followed and managed according to current guidelines. There are also beneficial lithium impacts, of which anti-suicidal and anti-dementia seem the most important. Most of the results of neurobiological studies on lithium mechanisms may be related to lithium response and some (e.g., immunomodulatory) to the pathogenesis of BD. Better education about lithium could make more patients the beneficiary of this drug.
Key findings
- The results on the mechanisms of lithium action covered genetic investigations of the Consortium of Lithium Genetics (ConLiGen) and in vitro studies with induced pluripotent stem cells and lymphoblastoid cell lines.
- KEY MESSAGES: Lithium remains the choice drug for recurrence prevention in BD, also in adolescents, and a significant option for augmentation of antidepressants in TRD.
- Most of the results of neurobiological studies on lithium mechanisms may be related to lithium response and some (e.g., immunomodulatory) to the pathogenesis of BD.
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Study details
- Study designnarrative review
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 43/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record, multi-centre collaboration and free to read, so those were left out: it earned 24 of the 56 points we could judge it on, which is 43 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Neuropsychobiology) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | Design recorded as “narrative review”, which our rubric does not rank (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2024 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multi-centre collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 39510063) |
| Free to read | — / 2 | Access not recorded — left out of this score |
| Points | 24 / 56 | Scored on 10 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 24 of the 56 points we could judge it on is 43 out of 100. |
| Total | 43 / 100 | — |
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Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
Rybakowski, J. K. (2024). Lithium: Fifteen Years Later. Neuropsychobiology. https://doi.org/10.1159/000542490
Vancouver
Rybakowski JK. Lithium: Fifteen Years Later. Neuropsychobiology. 2024. doi:10.1159/000542490. PMID: 39510063.
BibTeX
@article{rybakowski2024-39510063,
author = {Rybakowski, Janusz K},
title = {{Lithium: Fifteen Years Later}},
journal = {Neuropsychobiology},
year = {2024},
doi = {10.1159/000542490},
pmid = {39510063},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1159/000542490}
}