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Is response to prophylactic lithium a familial trait?
Paul Grof1, Anne Duffy, Patrizia Cavazzoni
1Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
The Journal of Clinical Psychiatry
|November 6, 2002
Summary
Response to lithium treatment for bipolar disorder appears to be a familial trait. Relatives of lithium responders showed a significantly higher response rate, suggesting a genetic component in lithium efficacy.
Area of Science:
- Psychiatry
- Genetics
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Treatment selection for mood disorders often relies on family response, but lacks robust evidence.
- The hypothesis that lithium response is a familial trait requires further investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate whether response to long-term lithium treatment is a heritable characteristic.
- To determine if lithium response in bipolar disorder patients clusters within families.
Main Methods:
- Compared lithium treatment response in bipolar relatives of lithium responders versus a control group of bipolar patients.
- Utilized the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia-Lifetime version (SADS-L) and Research Diagnostic Criteria (RDC) for diagnosis.
- Assessed lithium response using a standardized rating scale.
Main Results:
- Relatives of lithium responders demonstrated a 67% unequivocal response rate.
- The comparison group of bipolar patients showed a 35% response rate.
- The difference in response rates was statistically significant (p = .014).
Conclusions:
- Findings support lithium response as a familial trait.
- The clustering of lithium response within families suggests a potential genetic influence.
- This study provides evidence for the inherited nature of lithium efficacy in bipolar disorder.