title: 50 Years with lithium treatment in affective disorders: present problems and priorities.
abstract: Lithium has been used as a treatment for various psychiatric- and somatic-illnesses for more than 50 years. Today the main use of lithium is for the prevention of episode recurrences in bipolar disorder. The main emphasis of this review will be on the efficacy and effectiveness of lithium prophylaxis in bipolar disorder but the review will also discuss other indications for lithium treatment, the historical development, pharmacokinetic and -dynamic issues, unwanted effects of lithium and the organisation of treatment services. Finally, although not the main purpose of this review, a short description of alternative mood stabilizing drugs will also be presented.
authors.affiliation: Mood Disorders Research Unit, Aarhus University Psychiatric Hospital, Skovagervej 2, 8240 Risskov, Denmark. pve@psykiatri.aaa.dk
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vestergaard
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Licht
mesh_terms: D001714:Bipolar Disorder / Q000517:prevention & control; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D016903:Drug Monitoring; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049674:History, 21st Century; D007037:Hypothyroidism / Q000139:chemically induced; D016651:Lithium Carbonate / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000266:history / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D019964:Mood Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011565:Psoriasis / Q000139:chemically induced; D013001:Somatoform Disorders / Q000139:chemically induced
chemical_list: D016651:Lithium Carbonate