Brain-to-serum lithium ratio and age: an in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy study.
cross_sectional · Level IV
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- Record sourced from PubMed, PMID 12091209.
- Also identified by PMC identifier 4085752.
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Abstract
The authors' goal was to determine if there is an association between brain-to-serum lithium ratios and age. Lithium-7 magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to measure in vivo brain lithium levels in nine children and adolescents (mean age=13.4 years, SD=3.6) and 18 adults (mean age=37.3, SD=9.1) with bipolar disorder. Serum and brain lithium concentrations were positively correlated. Younger subjects had lower brain-to-serum concentration ratios than adults: 0.58 (SD=0.24) versus 0.92 (SD=0.36). The brain-to-serum concentration ratio correlated positively with age. These observations suggest that children and adolescents may need higher maintenance serum lithium concentrations than adults to ensure that brain lithium concentrations reach therapeutic levels.
Medical subject headings
- Bipolar Disorder
- Brain Chemistry
- Lithium