title: The lithium index in a one-year follow-up.
abstract: 1. In a one-year follow-up 191 patients on lithium therapy, besides their regular check-ups, were assessed on mood, side-effects and intracellular lithium. 2. The authors were not able to find a correlation between the so called lithium index (i.e. the quotient intracellular lithium/plasma lithium) and the mood score. 3. In the group of patients which used no co-medication at all during the year of the follow-up the authors also failed to find a correlation between the lithium index and some of the clinically most relevant side-effects. However, in that selected group of "only-lithium-using-patients"-only 29 in all-the authors found a remarkable stability in the index value. 4. So even if the authors, in fact, rejected the lithium index estimation as a tool in daily praxis, the authors would once again underline the interesting findings about the so-called lithium index.
authors.affiliation: Parkpolikliniek of the Deltahospital Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Kamp
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Oey
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Leijnseybema
authors.forename: E V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Most
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Van Dort-Stam
mesh_terms: D000341:Affective Disorders, Psychotic / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology; D003866:Depressive Disorder / Q000097:blood / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000737:chemistry; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008094:Lithium / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000097:blood* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D008094:Lithium