Lithium Treatment and Memory Assessment: Methodology

Abstract

Clinical observations have suggested that lithium may exert adverse effects on memory. The difficulty in achieving empirical consensus regarding this issue has reflected several methodological problems: diversity of research designs, heterogeneous samples, lack of control groups and the possible confounding of memory test scores by variables such as depression, other acute psychopatho-logies, organicity, treatment duration, and age. The diversity of memory tests in terms of the complexity and modality of the stimuli as well as the types of memory assessed (immediate, short- and long-term, logical, visuo-practic) has further complicated the comparison of results across studies. Furthermore, the administration of test batteries has been limited by patients’ fatigue and the severity of their illness, and by the time required to complete testing. Hence, the use of test norms may be restricted. Suggestions are made for the selection of appropriate memory tests, patients sampling and data analysis. The authors discuss the difficulties inherent in blind studies and in matched-group designs examining the effects of lithium on memory. Conclusions point to the advantages of prospective within-subject designs with repeated testing in which patients serve as their own controls.

Nitric oxide modulates state dependency induced by lithium in an inhibitory avoidance task in mice

“…Lithium has been reported to impair memory in humans (Engelsmann et al, 1992), including verbal learning (Pachet and Wisniewski, 2003). Our previous data showed that pretraining administration of lithium-induced memory impairment in an inhibitory avoidance task in mice (Zarrindast et al, 2005.…”

Employment functioning and disability among community residents with bipolar affective disorder: results from an Australian community survey

“…Lithium is commonly used for treatment of BPD and levels need to be regularly monitored to avoid toxicity, a serious condition that can cause marked and possibly enduring neurocognitive deficits (45). However, at therapeutic levels, findings of adverse effects on neurocognitive performance have been contradictory (46). In addition, few studies have examined the effects of lithium and other BPD medications (adverse or beneficial) on role functioning while controlling for the effects of other antipsychotic medications, an additional source of cognitive impairment.…”

Repeated Administration of Histamine Improves Memory Retrieval of Inhibitory Avoidance by Lithium in Mice

“…Although in one of our previous studies lithium at a dose of 5 mg/kg induced amnesia, in that study lithium was administered before the training session of the inhibitory avoidance task [30] . The drug has been shown to cause adverse effects on memory in humans [3,4,34] . Inhibition of the enzyme inositol monophosphatase by lithium [35,36] , and/or its effect on cAMP [37][38][39][40] and/or G-proteins [6,41,42] have been suggested to be possible mechanisms involved in the effect of lithium.…”