WHY LITHIUM?

Lithium salts are used as a medication in the treatment of major mental illnesses such as bipolar disorder and recurrent depression. They can be particularly effective in preventing relapses of illness.

Lithium is a naturally occurring element that is most commonly found in the form of a salt.

However, not everyone responds well to lithium and it must be carefully monitored when prescribed. By developing new methods to detect the levels in the brain, we are trying to identify the people most suitable to take lithium in the longer term.

Our advanced Magnetic Resonance Imaging (7Li-MRI) techniques can directly and safely measure the distribution of lithium in the brain. We are exploring whether brain lithium distribution patterns can predict response to treatment.

Lithium is not evenly distributed in the brain and we are trying find out why.

OUR RESEARCH THEMES

Enhanced prescribing

Predicting response

Low dose lithium

To help our research to make a difference, we work closely with people who have lived experience of lithium. If you would like join our discussions and help set our research direction, please feel free to reach out.

LET US KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS

info@teamlithium.co.uk

TEAM LITHIUM NEWS

Our paper 'Human brain 7Li-MRI following low-dose lithium dietary supplementation in healthy participants' was the most downloaded original research article in the Journal of Affective Disorders, 2024!

First author - Mary Neal

Team Lithium has been awarded funding by NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre for the Dementia, Mental Health & Neurodegeneration theme towards their PPI activities. At this pivotal point in determining our future research directions, we want to involve the public.

PPIE lead - Dr Victoria Wing