OUR CURRENT STUDIES

R-LiNK

Response to Lithium Network -- we are part of a large multi centre, multinational research study which aims to identify biomarkers of response to long-term lithium treatment. Funded by the EU Horizon 2020, we established lithium imaging in 6 centres across Europe. Recruitment and data collection has now closed, but we are working on the results and of course the next project.

CRiB2

Cognitive Remediation therapy in Bipolar disorder -- this is an NHIR funded trial lead by King's College London, which compares a new form of psychological therapy with treatment as usual. The study is approaching closing to recruitment, but we are excited to begin the analysis to see if this treatment could help those with bipolar disorder.

LIPOC

Lithium Point Of Care testing -- working with King's College London, we are bringing Point of Care testing for lithium to CNTW NHS Foundation Trust. This study will test whether it is feasible to monitor lithium levels using a simple finger-prick blood sample. Recruitment will open soon, and we are excited to see how this form of monitoring works in practice.

ILIAD

Imaging Lithium in Alzheimer's Disease -- early studies have shown that lithium may be effective in preventing the development of Alzheimer's Disease. We are at an early stage of understanding if this is the case, but it may be that lithium concentrates in certain parts of the brain that are important for memory. In ILIAD, we are inviting people with Alzheimer's Disease to take a low dose of lithium for a short time. We will perform our lithium MRI scans during this period and compare the patterns to healthy volunteers. We are not looking to see if it has an effect on the symptoms or progression of the disease in this study. ILIAD will soon open to recruitment.

SLIPI-M

Supplementary Lithium Imaging and Peripheral markers of Inflammation and Mitochondrial function -- there is research showing that low doses lithium may have a positive effect on conditions such as Alzheimer's Disease. There are even some associations between greater amounts of lithium in the diet and a reduced risk of developing dementia. In our SLIMMR study, we showed that it is possible to detect lithium in the brain after healthy subjects took dietary lithium supplements for one month. SLIPI-M will repeat that process, but will also assess the effects of lithium on blood markers of inflammation and mitochondrial function. This will help us understand the broader effects of lithium on processes related to progression of neurodegenerative conditions.

LIDO

Lithium Dose Optimisation -- when starting lithium, the dose is usually titrated to the correct levels, progressively increasing the dose with blood measurements each week until the target is reached. We have been developing a Lithium Dose Calculator which show promise in predicting the likely dose for a given person. We hope this will guide the early steps in treatment, reducing the number of steps and blood samples needed.