Intensity dependence of auditory evoked potentials and clinical response to prophylactic lithium medication: a replication study.
A predictor of clinical response to prophylactic lithium treatment in affective psychoses would be of considerable importance. In a pilot study, responders to prophylactic lithium medication, as compared with nonresponders, were characterized by a steeper slope of the amplitude/stimulus-intensity function (ASF slope) of the N1/P2 component of the auditory evoked potential. We tried to replicate this finding in 34 stabilized outpatients with affective illness who had been treated with lithium for at least 3 years. As in the pilot study, responders were again characterized by steeper ASF slopes than nonresponders. Since a steep ASF slope seems to indicate low central serotonergic function, it is speculated that a steep ASF slope characterizes those patients with a serotonin deficit who respond to serotonin agonists like lithium.
Hegerl
U
U
Berlin Lithium Clinic, Department of Psychiatry, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
Wulff
H
H
Müller-Oerlinghausen
B
B
D000328:Adult; D000341:Affective Disorders, Psychotic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D000368:Aged; D004569:Electroencephalography; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D012008:Recurrence; D015203:Reproducibility of Results
D008094:Lithium