Long-term lithium treatment and psychological functions

A group of 50 long-term lithium-treated outpatients were investigated with psychological examinations in order to study cognitive and emotional functions (memory, attention, speed, loss of effort, level of processing, productivity, and reactivity). The test results were compared with the general norms for the test applied. In average the test results were within the normal range. The inter-test variations which quantitatively and qualitatively characterize the performance of the lithium-treated patients indicate a relative lowering of the level of memory and perceptual processing as well as loss of effort when compared to the level of attention, productivity, and emotional reactivity. These findings support the hypothesis of a lithium-determined delay of the rate of information processing, a hypothesis which may be related to neuropsychological model of the level of arousal.