SynopsisErythrocyte sodium concentration, potassium concentration, Na-K ATPase activity, and ouabain sensitive potassium influx were determined in female inpatients suffering from a depressive illness. In most patients the biochemical values were also determined shortly before the patient's discharge from hospital. The Na-K ATPase and the ouabain sensitive potassium influx increased significantly with improvement in the depressive mood rating.

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There have been reports of the association of alterations in the divalent cation content of plasma with depressive illness. Coirault and colleagues (1959) found increased ionized calcium levels despite decreased total plasma calcium concentration in patients recovered from depression. More recently, Frizel and colleagues (1969) have reported normal plasma ionized and total calcium levels both before and after recovery from depression.

The therapeutic effect of lithium in mania was first described by Cade (1949), but the possibility that lithium could have a prophylactic action in recurrent affective disorders was not suggested until some years later (Hartigan, 1963; Baastrup, 1964). The early studies of the prophylactic action of lithium were open trials, in which both investigator and patient knew that the patient was receiving the drug. More recently, controlled double-blind studies have confirmed these early reports (Melia, 1970; Coppenet al., 1971; Cundallet al., 19712).

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