Title |
Lithium: a key to the genetics of bipolar disorder
|
---|---|
Published in |
Genome Medicine, August 2009
|
DOI | 10.1186/gm79 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Cristiana Cruceanu, Martin Alda, Gustavo Turecki |
Abstract |
Since the 1950s, lithium salts have been the main line of treatment for bipolar disorder (BD), both as a prophylactic and as an episodic treatment agent. Like many psychiatric conditions, BD is genetically and phenotypically heterogeneous, but evidence suggests that individuals who respond well to lithium treatment have more homogeneous clinical and molecular profiles. Response to lithium seems to cluster in families and can be used as a predictor for recurrence of BD symptoms. While molecular studies have provided important information about possible genes involved in BD predisposition or in lithium response, neither the mechanism of action of this drug nor the genetic profile of bipolar disorder is, as yet, completely understood. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Unknown | 1 | 100% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 1 | 100% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 1 | 2% |
India | 1 | 2% |
Unknown | 63 | 97% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Master | 15 | 23% |
Researcher | 9 | 14% |
Student > Bachelor | 6 | 9% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 6 | 9% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 4 | 6% |
Other | 14 | 22% |
Unknown | 11 | 17% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 16 | 25% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 9 | 14% |
Neuroscience | 9 | 14% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 6 | 9% |
Psychology | 4 | 6% |
Other | 6 | 9% |
Unknown | 15 | 23% |