There are numerous minerals that are critical to the human body. Are there vital elements that are also necessary for the optimal functioning of the human brain? Is lithium one of these essential minerals in the central nervous system? Lithium is a natural salt. Drinking water is the most common source of nutritional lithium although it also occurs naturally in some plant-derived foods. Althoug...

BACKGROUND Recent studies revealed that bipolar disorder may be associated with deficits of neuroplasticity. Additionally, accumulating evidence has implicated alterations of the intracellular signaling molecule protein kinase C (PKC) in mania. METHODS Using sleep deprivation (SD) as an animal model of mania, this study aimed to examine the possible relationship between PKC and neuroplasticit...

Topiramate is an anticonvulsant drug used for the treatment of epilepsy and prophylaxis of migraine. Some authors have proposed its use as a mood stabilizer and have reported its efficacy in reducing impulsiveness and improving mood regulation, possibly via its antagonism to glutamatergic transmission in the lateral hypothalamus, although this indication is still controversial. Weight loss is a...

Corticosteroids, such as prednisone and dexamethasone, are commonly prescribed medications that suppress the immune system and decrease inflammation. Common side effects of long-term treatment with corticosteroids include weight gain, osteoporosis, and diabetes mellitus. This paper reviews the literature on psychiatric and cognitive changes during corticosteroid therapy and potential treatment ...

Brown and Chandler reviewed the literature on significant psychiatric side effects of corticosteroids, noting presentations of depression, mania, psychosis, and memory deficits. Naber et al. followed a prospective, uncontrolled cohort of 50 patients on methylprednisolone or fluocortolone, at initial doses of 119 41 mg/d, and tapered to 75 22 mg/d over 8 days. They found that “manic-type” sympto...

Topiramate was associated with weight loss in clinical trials. We summarize the evidence on the efficacy and safety of topiramate in the treatment of overweight/obesity. The databases Medline, Embase, and Cochrane were searched. Randomized controlled studies with at least 16 weeks of duration that report the effect of topiramate on weight loss and adverse events were eligible for inclusion. Ten...

Lithium carbonate is considered an effective drug against mania and acts as a mood stabilizer. It is found that it enhances antidepressants targeting depression, consequently it is prone to have risk factors that leads to adverse effects. The study is devised in confronting depression under nanoscale by preparing nanocomposites which is a matrix of biopolymer chitosan that encapsulates lithium ...

Bipolar mood disorder is a mental disorder with a lifetime prevalence rate of about 1% in the general population and there are still a proportion of individuals who suffer from bipolar mood disorders that are resistant to standard treatment. Reporting clozapine responsive mania that was not responding to two previous consecutive atypical antipsychotics and one typical antipsychotic was aimed at...

BACKGROUND This study aimed to assess the efficacy of topiramate, a glutamate-modulating agent, in patients with treatment-resistant obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) as an adjunct to serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SRIs). MATERIALS AND METHODS Thirty-eight patients with refractory OCD, were randomly assigned to receive topiramate or placebo. This study was designed as a 12 weeks, double-bli...

BACKGROUND Lithium is a drug for treatment of bipolar disorder by correcting mania and reducing depressive mood swings. OBJECTIVES In this study, effects of Lithium on volumetric parameters of cerebellum were investigated using stereological methods. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this experimental study, 20 sexually mature wistar male rats were selected and divided in two groups randomly (n = 10...