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Lookup NU author(s): Dr David Cousins
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).
© 2022 The AuthorsBackground: Lithium is widely evidenced for its neuropsychiatric benefits. Advantages of ‘sub-therapeutic’ doses are increasingly being reported, which is apposite given enduring concerns around adverse effects of ‘therapeutic’ doses. We aimed to synthesise all available evidence from interventional studies investigating low-dose lithium (LDL) across neuropsychiatric outcomes. Methods: Electronic databases were systematically searched to include studies where a group of adult humans were treated with LDL (∼serum level ≤0.6 mmol/L), where data describing a neuropsychiatric outcome were reported either before and after treatment, and/or between lithium and a comparator. Results: 18 articles were examined and grouped according to outcome domain (cognition, depression, mania, and related constructs e.g., suicidality). Significant benefits (versus placebo) were identified for attenuating cognitive decline, and potentially as an adjunctive therapy for people with depression/mania. Across studies, LDL was reported to be safe. Conclusions: Despite the paucity and heterogeneity of studies, LDL's apparent pro-cognitive effects and positive safety profile open promising avenues in the fields of neurodegeneration, and augmentation in affective disorders. We urge future examinations of LDL's potential to prevent cognitive/affective syndromes.
Author(s): Strawbridge R, Kerr-Gaffney J, Bessa G, Loschi G, Freitas HLO, Pires H, Cousins DA, Juruena MF, Young AH
Publication type: Review
Publication status: Published
Journal: Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews
Year: 2023
Volume: 144
Print publication date: 01/01/2023
Online publication date: 24/11/2022
Acceptance date: 22/11/2022
ISSN (print): 0149-7634
ISSN (electronic): 1873-7528
Publisher: Elsevier Ltd
URL: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104975
DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2022.104975
PubMed id: 36436738
