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Updated: Aug 5, 2026

The Tail Suspension Test
Published on: January 29, 2012
["Lithium in the treatment of old age depression. What are the pros and cons?"]
Sina Stühler1, Arnim Quante1,2
1Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin Campus Benjamin Franklin.
Objective:
Augmentation with lithium is one of the treatment options in therapy-resistant depression. This review presents the current data concerning the use of lithium in elderly patients with unipolar depression.
Method:
Through a selective literature search in the database PubMed, 15 relevant articles were identified and included.
Results:
Both the clinical trials and reviews report in favor of lithium augmentation in elderly patients. Remission rates and response rates are high. Kidney damage, a feared side effect, is rarely seen. Even over longer periods of use, lithium is effective; however, close monitoring under laboratory tests must be carried out.
Conclusion:
Lithium represents an effective drug in the treatment of unipolar old age depression. Its use in daily clinical practice is therefore highly recommended.
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