Back on April 6, UCLA published a press release about a how lithium, the standard of treatment for bipolar disorder, helps build gray brain matter.

I’ll let the research speak for itself –

These new findings suggest that lithium may work by increasing the amount of gray matter in particular brain areas, which in turn suggests that existing gray matter in these regions of bipolar brains may be underused or dysfunctional.

and

The neurobiological underpinnings of bipolar disorder — an illness marked by a roller coaster of emotions between mania and depression — are not well understood. Nor is it understood how lithium works in controlling these severe mood swings, even though it has been the standard treatment for some 50 years.

This study helps contribute to our body knowledge about the effects of bipolar disorder on the brain structure, with one more data point. However, we’re still a long way to understanding the actual mechanisms involved in creating “bipolar disorder” in the brain.

If we know so little about lithium, a drug that’s been used for 50 years in the treatment of bipolar disorder, imagine how little we know about newer mood stabilizers.

The study will appear in the July issue of the journal Biological Psychiatry.

Dr. John Grohol is the CEO and founder of Psych Central. He is an author, researcher and expert in mental health online, and has been writing about online behavior, mental health and psychology issues -- as well as the intersection of technology and human behavior -- since 1992. Dr. Grohol sits on the editorial board of the journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking and is a founding board member and treasurer of the Society for Participatory Medicine.

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psychology schools » Lithium Builds Brain Matter in Bipolar Brains (4/12/2007)

    Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 12 Apr 2007
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