Posted by linkadge on March 9, 2006, at 21:03:01
In reply to Re: Lithium Often Takes Backseat To Other Bipolar » linkadge, posted by ed_uk on March 9, 2006, at 15:16:14
Manjii's work revealed that there were certain destinct structural and biochemical abnormalities in bipolar brains. One of the big abnormalities was a grey matter reduction in the subgenual prefronal cortex (I think sg 25) Both lithium and depkakote seemed to share an ability to reverse atrophy in that region. Other mood stabalizers did not.
Lithium reversed grey matter deficits in other brain regions too, in a time dependant manner. Depakote was not as strong in this effect, and other mood stabalizers showed no effect. Lithium and depakote also increased BDNF and BCL-2 in certain key brain regions. BCL-2, being neuroprotective and neurotrophic. Other mood stabaliers did not affect BDNF or BCL-2
The list went on, but I got from his work that lithium and valproate acutally seemed to be working to combat/reverse bipolar progression wheras other drugs did not seem to do much in this regard.
Linkadge
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URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060304/msgs/618113.html