Updated perspectives on how and when lithium should be used in the treatment of mood disorders.

Janusz K Rybakowski, Ewa Ferensztajn-Rochowiak

Expert review of neurotherapeutics 2023 Feb

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Lithium is one of the most important drugs for the treatment of mood disorders. The appropriate guidelines can ensure that more patients benefit from its use in a personalized way. This manuscript provides an update on the application of lithium in mood disorders, including prophylaxis of bipolar and unipolar mood disorder, treatment of acute manic and depressive episodes, augmentation of antidepressants in treatment-resistant depression, and use of lithium in pregnancy and the postpartum period. Lithium remains the gold standard for the prevention of recurrences in bipolar mood disorder. For long-term treatment/management of bipolar mood disorder, clinicians should also consider lithium's anti-suicidal effect. Furthermore, after prophylactic treatment, lithium may also be augmented with antidepressants in treatment-resistant depression. There have also been some demonstration of lithium having some efficacy in acute episodes of mania and bipolar depression as well as in the prophylaxis of unipolar depression.

Citation

Janusz K Rybakowski, Ewa Ferensztajn-Rochowiak. Updated perspectives on how and when lithium should be used in the treatment of mood disorders. Expert review of neurotherapeutics. 2023 Feb;23(2):157-167