Nerve fibre refractory period in patients treated with rubidium and lithium

Nerve fibre refractory period distributions have been measured on the median nerves of six manic-depressive patients controlled with lithium carbonate, three chronic patients (two manic-depressives and one catatonic schizophrenic) controlled with rubidium chloride, and eight normal volunteers. Rubidium prolonged the refractory periods of all nerve fibres while lithium increased only the longer refractory periods.