The course of delirium due to lithium intoxication

Nine delirious patients suffering from lithium intoxication were examined with the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMS) to describe the clinical course of the disorder. Serial serum lithium levels were also obtained. Serum lithium levels fell rapidly, but the cognitive impairment associated with the delirium typically persisted for another week or two. Late-developing but self-limiting neuropsychiatric complications occurred in four patients. The basis of the temporal dissociation of serum lithium levels from the clinical manifestations of lithium intoxication remains uncertain.