Lithium-induced increases in red blood cell choline and memory performance in Alzheimer-type dementia.
To investigate the relationship between RBC choline and memory in Alzheimer-type senile dementia (SDAT), lithium carbonate was administered to 14 SDAT patients in doses of 400-600 mg/day for 5 weeks. A battery of memory tests was administered at baseline and at weekly intervals. Five patients with serum concentrations below 0.6 meq/liter developed neurotoxicity and were dropped from further analysis. For the remaining patients, Li+ with mean serum concentrations up to 0.6 meq/liter did not alter memory scores significantly. The dramatic increases in RBC choline during the study, however, suggest that RBC choline is not correlated with memory functioning in SDAT.
D000368:Aged; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000097:blood* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D002794:Choline / Q000097:blood* / Q000502:physiology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000032:analysis* / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D016651:Lithium Carbonate; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged
D016651:Lithium Carbonate; D008094:Lithium; D002794:Choline