Review
Neurosciences
Janusz K. Rybakowski, Ewa Ferensztajn-Rochowiak
Summary: This mini-review highlights the contradiction between the positive therapeutic data of lithium and its decreased global usage. Lithium has been proven to be the best mood stabilizer in maintaining bipolar disorder, preventing manic and depressive recurrences. It is also promising in augmenting the treatment of resistant depression and has additional benefits such as antisuicidal, antiviral, immunomodulatory, and neuroprotective effects. However, the decline in lithium usage in many countries can be attributed to the promotion of other mood stabilizers and concerns over its side effects. Efforts have been made to challenge the negative perception of lithium and optimize its long-term administration.
NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS
(2022)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Aura Koistinaho, Juulia Poranen, Antti Tanskanen, Jari Tiihonen, Heidi Taipale, Markku Lahteenvuo
Summary: This study found that a large proportion of patients with bipolar disorder are not treated according to treatment guidelines, as the use of antidepressants alone is common. Factors such as age, diabetes, gender, diagnosis time, and substance abuse were associated with the use of antidepressants as the first-line treatment.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Janusz K. Rybakowski
Summary: Lithium is widely used in psychiatry for the treatment of bipolar disorder and treatment-resistant depression, showing not only mood-stabilizing effects but also antiviral, immunomodulatory, and neuroprotective properties with demonstrated therapeutic effects in clinical studies.
JOURNAL OF INTEGRATIVE NEUROSCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Ingrid Lieber, Michael Ott, Louise Ohlund, Robert Lundqvist, Mats Eliasson, Mikael Sandlund, Ursula Werneke
Summary: The study found that in patients with bipolar disorder or schizoaffective disorder, there is a decreasing trend in the TSH threshold for initiating thyroid hormone replacement therapy (THRT), typically used for subclinical hypothyroidism. The TSH concentration at the start of THRT decreased annually, with higher levels in patients treated with lithium compared to other mood stabilizers.
JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Article
Psychiatry
Chih-Ken Chen, Shu-Yu Yang, Seon-Cheol Park, Ok-Jin Jang, Xiaomin Zhu, Yu-Tao Xiang, Wen-Chen Ouyang, Afzal Javed, M. Nasar Sayeed Khan, Sandeep Grover, Ajit Avasthi, Roy Abraham Kallivayalil, Kok Yoon Chee, Norliza Chemi, Takahiro A. Kato, Kohei Hayakawa, Pornjira Pariwatcharakul, Margarita Maramis, Lakmi Seneviratne, Kang Sim, Wai Kwong Tang, Tin Oo, Norman Sartorius, Chay-Hoon Tan, Mian-Yoon Chong, Yong Chon Park, Naotaka Shinfuku, Shih-Ku Lin
Summary: This study investigated the distribution of mood stabilizer prescriptions for different psychiatric diagnoses in 10 Asian countries and found that mood stabilizers are commonly prescribed for conditions other than bipolar disorder, with schizophrenia and other non-mood psychotic disorders being the most common diagnosis. Valproic acid was the most frequently used medication.
ASIAN JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Balwinder K. Singh, Anastasia Yocum, Rebecca E. Strawbridge, Katherine E. Burdick, Caitlin T. Millett, Amy H. Peters, Sarah Sperry, Giovanna Fico, Eduard Vieta, Norma Verdolini, Ophelia Godin, Marion Leboyer, Etain F. Bruno, Ivy J. Tso, Brandon G. Coombes, Melvin A. McInnis, Andrew H. Nierenberg, Allan M. Young, Melanie Ashton, Michael J. Berk, Lana Williams, Kamyar N. Keramatian, Lakshmi J. Yatham, Bronwyn M. Overs, Janice Fullerton, Gloria B. Roberts, Philip A. Mitchell, Ole C. Andreassen, Ana P. Andreazza, Peter Zandi, Daniel M. Pham, Joanna A. Biernacka, Mark Frye, FACE BD Collaborators, Global Bipolar Cohort Collaborativ
Summary: This study investigated pharmacotherapeutic treatment patterns in multiple cohorts of individuals with bipolar disorder (BD) in North America, Europe, and Australia. Mood-stabilizing anticonvulsants, second-generation antipsychotics, and antidepressants were the most commonly prescribed medications. There were significant differences in prescription practices among different geographic regions.
Review
Psychiatry
Zainab Nabi, Jacki Stansfeld, Martin Ploderl, Lisa Wood, Joanna Moncrieff
Summary: This study is a systematic review and meta-analysis that includes all eligible data and evaluates the effect of lithium on suicide, non-fatal suicidal behavior, and suicide attempts. The results suggest that evidence from randomized trials is inconclusive and does not support the idea that lithium prevents suicide or suicidal behavior.
EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PSYCHIATRIC SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Psychiatry
Pao-Huan Chen, Shang-Ying Tsai, Po-Yu Chen, Chun-Hung Pan, Sheng-Siang Su, Chiao-Chicy Chen, Chian-Jue Kuo
Summary: This study evaluated the association between the use of mood stabilizers and the risks of mortality in people with bipolar disorder. The results showed that the use of mood stabilizers was significantly associated with decreased risks of all-cause mortality, suicide, and natural mortality, with lithium associated with the lowest risk.
ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA
(2023)
Review
Psychiatry
Jian Zhang, Guojun Wang, Xi Yang, Keming Gao
Summary: A meta-analysis compared the efficacy and safety of ECT combination with medication versus medication alone in treating acute mania. ECT-combo was found to outperform Med-alone in reducing manic symptoms, but also had increased memory impairment. Larger studies are needed to further confirm these findings due to high heterogeneity in the included studies.
PSYCHIATRY RESEARCH
(2021)
Review
Cell Biology
Enrique L. M. Ochoa
Summary: Lithium has neuroprotective properties in treating bipolar disorder, improving brain abnormalities through modulation of various mechanisms, but its specific targets and relationship with clinical efficacy are still unclear.
CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Osvaldo P. Almeida, Christopher Etherton-Beer, Erin Kelty, Frank Sanfilippo, David B. Preen, Amy Page
Summary: The use of lithium appears to be declining among adults aged > 50 years, with the proportion of users decreasing with age. One in five lithium users also use other mood stabilisers, and a significant number are also dispensed antipsychotics and antidepressants.
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
R. Guglielmo, G. Hasler
Summary: The monoamine hypothesis, which has been dominating the research on mood disorders and development of therapeutic drugs for over half a century, is now being challenged by the emerging evidence implicating the glutamate system in the pathophysiology of mood disorders. Bipolar disorder is being reconceptualized as a disorder related to synaptic plasticity, and the shift from a monoamine hypothesis to a neuroplasticity hypothesis focused on glutamate may lead to significant advancements in the research for new drugs and therapies.
NEUROSCIENCE AND BIOBEHAVIORAL REVIEWS
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Baptiste Barbot, Henry Eff, Shira R. Weiss, James B. McCarthy
Summary: This study differentiates the unique effects of different types of early maltreatment on psychopathology, particularly mood disorders and psychotic symptoms, as well as histories of suicide attempts among psychiatrically hospitalized children and youth. The results showed direct and indirect relationships between various forms of abuse and history of suicide attempts, with mediation by bipolar disorders and psychotic symptoms.
CHILD AND ADOLESCENT MENTAL HEALTH
(2021)
Article
Psychiatry
Ching-Hua Lin, Hung-Yu Chan, Hsin-Yi Lin, Cheng-Chung Chen
Summary: This study investigated prescribing patterns among pediatric bipolar disorder (PBD) patients discharged from two public mental hospitals in Taiwan from 2006 to 2019. The results showed that second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) were the most commonly prescribed psychotropic agents, while the prescription rates of mood stabilizers and first-generation antipsychotics (FGAs) significantly decreased. The prescription rates of antidepressants, antidepressant plus antipsychotic, and antidepressant without mood stabilizer significantly increased over time. These findings reveal the changing trends in medication for PBD patients.
ASIA-PACIFIC PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Clinical Neurology
Kanita Dervic, Leo Sher, Hanga C. Galfalvy, Michael Grunebaum, Ainsley K. Burke, Gregory Sullivan, M. Elizabeth Sublette, J. John Mann, Maria A. Oquendo
Summary: In bipolar patients, lithium has a greater effect in preventing suicidal behavior in individuals over 42 years old. Lithium significantly reduces the risk of suicidal behavior compared to valproate in older patients (>42 years old) or younger patients on either medication. This effect is independent of clinical and sociodemographic characteristics.
JOURNAL OF AFFECTIVE DISORDERS
(2023)
Review
Neurosciences
Fernanda C. Gabriel, Manoela Oliveira, Michael Berk, Elisa Brietzke, Felice N. Jacka, Beny Lafer
Summary: This review aims to summarize the relationship between nutrition and bipolar disorder (BD). Findings suggest that the intake of unsaturated fatty acids, seafood, folic acid, and zinc is associated with improved BD symptoms. The impacts of creatine, carnitine, vitamin D, inositol, or NAC supplementation on BD are variable and mainly non-significant. Promising results are associated with Coenzyme Q10 (Coq10) and probiotics. Overall, dietetic approaches might be included as part of BD treatment, and individuals with BD should choose healthy dietary lifestyles.
NUTRITIONAL NEUROSCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Richard J. Siegert, Ajit Narayanan, Joanna Dipnall, Lisa Gossage, Wendy Wrapson, Alexander Sumich, Fabrice Merien, Michael Berk, Janis Paterson, El-Shadan Tautolo
Summary: This study examined the symptoms of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness among young Pacific adults living in Auckland, New Zealand during the 2020/2021 COVID-19 pandemic and identified potential protective factors. The findings showed that approximately 25% of the participants scored in the moderate to severe range for anxiety, and 10% for depression. Additionally, around 40% of the sample reported finding the first lockdown very stressful. Self-compassion and Pacific Identity were moderately negatively correlated with anxiety, depression, hopelessness, and perceived stress.
AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Anna L. Wrobel, Samantha E. Russell, Anuradhi Jayasinghe, Bianca E. Kavanagh, Mojtaba Lotfaliany, Alyna Turner, Olivia M. Dean, Sue M. Cotton, Claudia Diaz-Byrd, Anastasia K. Yocum, Elizabeth R. Duval, Tobin J. Ehrlich, David F. Marshall, Michael Berk, Melvin G. McInnis
Summary: This study found that personality traits may mediate the relationship between childhood trauma and the severity of bipolar depression; the indirect effect through neuroticism was significant in the mediation model. The results suggest that an individual's personality structure is an important factor to consider in therapeutic plans for individuals with bipolar disorder who have a history of childhood trauma.
AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Review
Clinical Neurology
Elena Koning, Alexandra McDonald, Alexander Bambokian, Fabiano A. Gomes, Jacob Vorstman, Michael Berk, Jennifer Fabe, Roger S. McIntyre, Roumen Milev, Rodrigo B. Mansur, Elisa Brietzke
Summary: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a chronic mental disorder characterized by depressive and manic episodes, circadian rhythm disruption, and changes in energetic metabolism. Metabolic jet lag is considered a core component of BD pathophysiology, associated with irregular eating rhythms and circadian desynchronization of energetic metabolism.
Review
Psychiatry
A. Ratheesh, D. Hett, J. Ramain, E. Wong, L. Berk, P. Conus, M. A. Fristad, T. Goldstein, M. Hillegers, S. Jauhar, L. Kessing, D. J. Miklowitz, G. Murray, J. Scott, M. Tohen, L. N. Yatham, A. H. Young, M. Berk, S. Marwaha
Summary: This systematic review examined the effectiveness of interventions in the early course of bipolar disorder (BD). The findings suggested that lithium use was associated with lower recurrence risk compared to other mood stabilizers, and mood stabilizers were associated with better global functioning compared to antipsychotics in the medium term. Psychological interventions, such as family-focused and cognitive-behavioral interventions, were associated with reduced recurrence risk or improved symptomatic outcomes. Pharmacological interventions were more efficacious when utilized in the earlier stages of illness.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BIPOLAR DISORDERS
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Gregory Roebuck, Michael Mazzolini, Mohammadreza Mohebbi, Julie A. A. Pasco, Amanda L. L. Stuart, Malcolm Forbes, Michael Berk, Lana Williams
Summary: This study investigated the effect of anxiety disorders on bone mineral density (BMD) and found a significant association between anxiety disorders and reduced BMD in men, which may be mediated by comorbid mood disorders.
ACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA
(2023)
Article
Substance Abuse
Rebecca McKetin, Philip J. Clare, David Castle, Alyna Turner, Peter J. Kelly, Dan I. Lubman, Shalini Arunogiri, Victoria Manning, Michael Berk
Summary: This study aimed to determine whether the risk of psychotic symptoms during methamphetamine use was dependent on, increased by, or independent of having a family history of psychosis. The findings showed that both methamphetamine use and family history of psychosis were independently associated with psychotic symptoms in the past week, and the joint risk was even larger when they occurred together. There was no significant interaction between family history of psychosis and methamphetamine use in predicting psychotic symptoms, but family history of psychosis was an independent risk factor for the absolute risk of psychotic symptoms in this population.
Editorial Material
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Harris A. Eyre, Robert Lundin, Veronica Podence Falcao, Michael Berk, Tadeusz Hawrot, Marion Leboyer, Frederic Destrebecq, Zoltan Sarnyai, Charles Reynolds, Helen Lavretsky, Kavitha Kolappa, Jeffrey Cummings
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF GERIATRIC PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Kelly Allott, Hok Pan Yuen, Lara Baldwin, Brian O'Donoghue, Alex Fornito, Sidhant Chopra, Barnaby Nelson, Jessica Graham, Melissa J. J. Kerr, Tina-Marie Proffitt, Aswin Ratheesh, Mario Alvarez-Jimenez, Susy Harrigan, Ellie Brown, Andrew D. D. Thompson, Christos Pantelis, Michael Berk, Patrick D. D. McGorry, Shona M. M. Francey, Stephen J. J. Wood
Summary: The drivers of cognitive change following first-episode psychosis are not well understood. This study conducted a secondary analysis of a randomized, triple-blind, placebo-controlled trial to investigate the role of antipsychotic medication on cognitive performance in patients with first-episode psychotic disorder. The results showed that the medication group exhibited decline in verbal learning and memory, while the placebo group showed improvement.
TRANSLATIONAL PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Jason Yuen, Abhinav Goyal, Aaron E. Rusheen, Abbas Z. Kouzani, Michael Berk, Jee Hyun Kim, Susannah J. Tye, Osama A. Abulseoud, Tyler S. Oesterle, Charles D. Blaha, Kevin E. Bennet, Kendall H. Lee, Yoonbae Oh, Hojin Shin
Summary: Opioids are the leading cause of overdose death in the United States, with nearly 70,000 deaths in 2020. Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a promising treatment for substance use disorders. This study investigated the modulation of dopaminergic and respiratory effects of oxycodone by DBS of the ventral segmental area (VTA) in rodents. The results demonstrated that DBS reduced baseline dopamine levels and alleviated the increase in dopamine levels and respiratory depression induced by oxycodone.
FRONTIERS IN PHARMACOLOGY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Jacqueline Kaiser, Kevin Nay, Christopher R. Horne, Luke M. Mcaloon, Oliver K. Fuller, Abbey G. Muller, Douglas G. Whyte, Anthony R. Means, Ken Walder, Michael Berk, Anthony J. Hannan, James M. Murphy, Mark A. Febbraio, Andrew L. Gundlach, John W. Scott
Summary: Current pharmacological treatments for bipolar disorder are inadequate and lack revolutionary therapies due to limited efficacy, burdensome side-effects, and a poor understanding of the underlying disease mechanisms. Targeting the CaMKK2 enzyme shows promise as a new treatment strategy for bipolar disorder, as it is associated with the disease and its behaviors can be ameliorated by increasing CaMKK2 activity with lithium.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Sourav Khanra, Preethi Reddy, Anna Gimenez-Palomo, Chun Hui J. Park, Bruna Panizzutti, Madeleine McCallum, Shyam Sundar Arumugham, Shreekantiah Umesh, Monojit Debnath, Basudeb Das, Ganesan Venkatasubramanian, Melanie Ashton, Alyna Turner, Olivia M. Dean, Ken Walder, Eduard Vieta, Lakshmi N. Yatham, Isabella Pacchiarotti, Y. C. Janardhan Reddy, Nishant Goyal, Muralidharan Kesavan, Lluc Colomer, Michael Berk, Jee Hyun Kim
Summary: The core feature of bipolar disorder is pathological disturbances in mood, along with disrupted thinking and behavior. Due to its complex and heterogeneous etiology, a range of genetic and environmental factors are involved. This complexity and poorly understood neurobiology make it challenging to develop drugs, resulting in limited treatment options, especially for bipolar depression. Therefore, novel approaches are needed, such as investigating the potential of trimetazidine as a treatment option for bipolar depression.
MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY
(2023)
Article
Psychiatry
Michael Berk, Vincent Van den Eynde, Karthikeyan Ganapathy, Chittaranjan Andrade, Tom Birkenhager, J. Alexander Bodkin, David Nutt, Brian Barnett, Simeon Shalom Feinberg, Gordon Parker, Eric Ruhe, Michele Fornaro, Charles Redhead, Lila Godet, Peter Kenneth Gillman
Summary: Experienced clinicians and academics from the International MAOI Expert Group provide comments on the use of monoamine oxidase inhibitor (MAOI) pharmacotherapy for depression. They emphasize the importance of good pharmacological practice, starting with a low dose and making changes slowly and gradually. The comments also discuss issues related to augmentation and drug combinations, and highlight the unique ability of MAOIs to improve dopamine function.
PSYCHIATRIC ANNALS
(2023)
Meeting Abstract
Clinical Neurology
Elisa Brietzke, Elena Koning, Mohammad Alsuwaidan, Vicent Balanza-Martinez, Michael Berk, Jess Fiedorowicz, Mark Frye, Manuel Gardea-Resendez, Fabiano Gomes, Ana Gonzalez-Pinto, Rodrigo Mansur, Wolfgang Marx, Roumen Milev, Lucas Neves, Andrew Nierenberg, Andrew Olagunju, Gayatri Saraf, Marco Solmi, Beny Lafer
Meeting Abstract
Clinical Neurology
Fernanda Carramaschi Gabriel, Michael Berk, Elisa Brietzke, Felice Jacka, Beny Lafer