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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Netch on January 23, 2007, at 9:10:34
It seems like Lithium prevents pre-frontal cortex atrophy in depression
"in a part of the pre-frontal cortex of bipolar patients or patients with familial recurring unipolar depression, there was almost a 40% reduction in the amount of gray matter. That was a remarkable finding that you have such a reduction in a discrete part of brain."
"He had a small group of patients who had been treated with lithium for a long time and they did not show the brain atrophy compared with the bipolar patients. Interestingly all of the patients with unipolar depression, whether or not they had been treated with antidepressants, still showed the atrophy. That was a suggestion that bipolar treatments might have a protective effect."
"We found that in animals, with a dose of lithium that is one-half or one-third of a usual dose, you still get a large increase in bcl-2, a neuroprotective protein. This suggests that it is quite possible that even low-dose lithium will exert these effects. "
http://www.psycheducation.org/depression/meds/ManjiLithium.htm
Posted by ed_uk on January 23, 2007, at 14:42:34
In reply to Lithium prevents cortical atrophy in depression, posted by Netch on January 23, 2007, at 9:10:34
Something tells me that Linkadge is going to reply to this post :) He has a great understanding of these things.
Ed
Posted by linkadge on January 23, 2007, at 19:45:38
In reply to Calling Linkadge...., posted by ed_uk on January 23, 2007, at 14:42:34
"He had a small group of patients who had been treated with lithium for a long time and they did not show the brain atrophy compared with the bipolar patients. Interestingly all of the patients with unipolar depression, whether or not they had been treated with antidepressants, still showed the atrophy. That was a suggestion that bipolar treatments might have a protective effect."
Well, this is referring to one specific area of the prefrontal cortex. Dr. Manjii, the study designer, admitted that the study was with too few patients to make solid conclusions. He also said that the association could be in reverse, that is, the patients with less atrophy that are responding to the drugs in the first place.
It was also not a before and after study. It was simply an after study saying that the patients on lithium did not show atrophy.
That being said, the study could be accurate.
"We found that in animals, with a dose of lithium that is one-half or one-third of a usual dose, you still get a large increase in bcl-2, a neuroprotective protein. This suggests that it is quite possible that even low-dose lithium will exert these effects. "
Linkadge
This is the end of the thread.
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