Abstract
Neuroimaging holds the promise of being a means to improve our understanding of lithium’s mechanism of action. Structural brain imaging studies of individuals exposed to lithium, mainly using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), have repeatedly evidenced an increased volume of grey matter in cross-sectional, but also in longitudinal, studies. They suggest that lithium has a neurotrophic and neuroprotective effect, particularly in the hippocampus. This effect seems to be supported by lithium-treated rodent models. Findings in white matter are more heterogeneous and sparse. We still do not know, however, whether the neurotrophic effects associated with lithium are a direct consequence of the element or are secondary to symptomatic improvement, although the effect does seem lithium specific. Finally, in the near future, neuroimaging of lithium may assist the clinician through the identification of biomarkers of response to lithium and through the direct measurement of lithium brain concentrations using MRI spectroscopy.
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Houenou, J., Benizri, C., Jakubowicz, B. (2017). Neuroimaging and Lithium. In: Malhi, G., Masson, M., Bellivier, F. (eds) The Science and Practice of Lithium Therapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-45923-3_5
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