MRSI Study of Brain Lithium Followed by Missed Doses

¹Radiology, Univ. Neb. Med. Center, Omaha, NE, USA; ²Biological sciences, Univ. Southern california, Los Angeles, CA, USA

Lithium and its salts is a major prophylactic drug of manic depressive illness and is an effective therapeutic agent in the control of mood. Effective prophylactic treatment requires strict compliance with the prescribed doses. The effect of missed doses on lithium concentration in the blood and CNS are important determining factors in the treatment of bipolar disorder. The present study aims to use a rodent model to measure changes in brain lithium following a missed dose during lithium treatment. Magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging technique (MRSI) was used to study Li concentration in specific brain regions.