Permanent neurological deficits due to lithium toxicity

Two patients exhibited permanent neurological deficits following relatively uncomplicated episodes of lithium intoxication. Lithium toxicity alone appears to result in a fairly consistent combination of neurological findings, including deficits in recent memory, limb and truncal ataxia, and choreoathetosis or parkinsonism. The potential role of early hemodialysis in preventing these permanent deficits is discussed.