Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

On the physiological function of lithium from a psychiatric view point.

J H Demling1, M C Eglau, T Autenrieth

  • 1Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Erlangen-Nuernberg, Erlangen, Germany. Joachim.Demling@psych.imed.uni-erlangen.de

Medical Hypotheses
|October 17, 2001
PubMed
Summary

Lithium, found in food and water, plays a role in mood regulation. Low levels are linked to developmental and mood issues, suggesting a need for lithium in certain conditions.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Safety of vagus nerve stimulation in a patient with bipolar disorder and an implanted cardioverter-defibrillator.

Acta neurologica Scandinavica·2010
Same author

Two-dimensional heterogeneous dynamics at the surface of a colloidal suspension.

Physical review letters·2009
Same author

Measuring temporal speckle correlations at ultrafast x-ray sources.

Optics express·2009
Same author

Dynamics in dense suspensions of charge-stabilized colloidal particles.

The European physical journal. E, Soft matter·2008
Same author

[New options in the treatment of depression].

Fortschritte der Neurologie-Psychiatrie·2007
Same author

Pharmacokinetics and safety of combination therapy with lithium and risperidone.

Pharmacopsychiatry·2006

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Neuroscience
  • Human Physiology

Background:

  • Lithium is a naturally occurring alkali metal found in trace amounts in the human body and ingested through diet.
  • Higher concentrations of lithium are medically used to treat mood disorders like mania and bipolar disorder.
  • Deficiency in dietary lithium (endogenous lithium) has been associated with developmental defects in animals and psychopathological problems in humans.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To explore the essential physiological role of lithium in mood regulation.
  • To investigate the hypothesis that certain mood disorders increase the body's requirement for lithium.
  • To consider the potential prophylactic effects of long-term lithium intake.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing studies on lithium's biological and medical effects.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of the relationship between endogenous lithium levels and physiological/psychopathological outcomes.
  • Conceptual framework development regarding lithium's role in mood homeostasis.

    • Main Results:

    • Evidence suggests lithium is crucial for physiological mood regulation.
    • A deficiency in endogenous lithium correlates with negative health outcomes.
    • Pathological mood disorders may indicate an elevated bodily requirement for lithium.

    Conclusions:

    • Lithium likely has an essential function in maintaining mood stability.
    • Suboptimal dietary lithium intake could contribute to mood dysregulation.
    • Long-term lithium supplementation may offer prophylactic benefits for individuals with specific mood disorder predispositions.