Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Trace lithium and mental health

  • High Impact Review in Neuroscience, Neurology or Psychiatry - Review Article
  • Published:
Journal of Neural Transmission Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Lithium therapy is generally accepted as a first-line treatment for bipolar disorder, and it is also identified as one of the best augmenting options for treatment-resistant depression. Furthermore, lithium has been investigated in association with suicide, dementia and aggressiveness. In this review, we examined articles about the effects of very small amounts of lithium in treating suicide, dementia, bipolar disorder and temperament, to assess the present state of trace lithium’s effect on mental state. The results indicate that trace lithium may be effective for suicide prevention but randomized, placebo-controlled trials are required to draw a definite conclusion. Indications for using trace lithium in treating such conditions as dementia, bipolar disorder and temperament are supported by very limited evidence and such effects are yet to be determined.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Blüml V, Regier MD, Hlavin G, Rockett IR, König F, Vyssoki B, Bschor T, Kapusta ND (2013) Lithium in the public water supply and suicide mortality in Texas. J Psychiatr Res 47:407–411

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cipriani A, Hawton K, Stockton S, Geddes JR (2013) Lithium in the prevention of suicide in mood disorders: updated systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ 27(346):f3646

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Forlenza OV, Diniz BS, Radanovic M, Santos FS, Talib LL, Gattaz WF (2011) Disease-modifying properties of long-term lithium treatment for amnestic mild cognitive impairment: randomised controlled trial. Br J Psychiatry 198:351–356

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Giotakos O, Nisianakis P, Tsouvelas G, Giakalou VV (2013) Lithium in the public water supply and suicide mortality in Greece. Biol Trace Elem Res 156:376–379

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hampel H, Ewers M, Bürger K, Annas P, Mörtberg A, Bogstedt A, Frölich L (2009) Lithium trial in Alzheimer’s disease: a randomized, single-blind, placebo-controlled, multicenter 10-week study. J Clin Psychiatry 70:922–931

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ishii N, Terao T, Araki Y, Kohno K, Mizokami Y, Shiotsuki I, Hatano K, Makino M, Kodama K, Iwata N (2015) Low male suicide and lithium in drinking water. J Clin Psychiatry 76:319–326

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ishii N, Terao T, Matsuzaki H et al. (2017) Lithium in drinking water may be negatively associated with depressive temperament in the nonclinical population. Clin Neuropsychopharmacol Ther 8:7–11

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Jones RM, Arlidge J, Gillham R, Reagu S, van den Bree M, Taylor PJ (2011) Efficacy of mood stabilisers in the treatment of impulsive or repetitive aggression: systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Psychiatry 198:93–98

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kabacs N, Memon A, Obinwa T, Stochl J, Perez J (2011) Lithium in drinking water and suicide rates across the East of England. Br J Psychiatry 198:406–407

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kanehisa M, Terao T, Shiotsuki I, Kurosawa K, Takenaka R, Sakamoto T, Shigemitsu O, Ishii N, Hatano K, Hirakawa H (2017) Serum lithium levels and suicide attempts: a case-controlled comparison in lithium therapy-naive individuals. Psychopharmacology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00213-017-4729-z

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kapusta ND, Mossaheb N, Etzersdorfer E, Hlavin G, Thau K, Willeit M, Praschak-Rieder N, Sonneck G, Leithner-Dziubas K (2011) Lithium in drinking water and suicide mortality. Br J Psychiatry 198:346–350

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kessing LV, Søndergård L, Forman JL, Andersen PK (2008) Lithium treatment and risk of dementia. Arch Gen Psychiatry 65:1331–1335

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kessing LV, Forman JL, Andersen PK (2010) Does lithium protect against dementia? Bipolar Disord 12:87–94

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kessing LV, Gerds TA, Knudsen NN, Jørgensen LF, Kristiansen SM, Voutchkova D, Ernstsen V, Schullehner J, Hansen B, Andersen PK, Ersbøll AK (2017a) Association of lithium in drinking water with the incidence of dementia. JAMA Psychiatry 74:1005–1010

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kessing LV, Gerds TA, Knudsen NN, Jørgensen LF, Kristiansen SM, Voutchkova D, Ernstsen V, Schullehner J, Hansen B, Andersen PK, Ersbøll AK (2017b) Lithium in drinking water and the incidence of bipolar disorder: a nation-wide population-based study. Bipolar Disord 19:563–567

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Knudsen NN, Schullehner J, Hansen B, Jørgensen LF, Kristiansen SM, Voutchkova DD, Gerds TA, Andersen PK, Bihrmann K, Grønbæk M, Kessing LV, Ersbøll AK (2017) Int J Environ Res Public Health 14(6):E627. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph14060627

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Liaugaudaite V, Mickuviene N, Raskauskiene N, Naginiene R, Sher L (2017) Lithium levels in the public drinking water supply and risk of suicide: a pilot study. J Trace Elem Med Biol 43:197–201

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Matsunaga S, Kishi T, Annas P, Basun H, Hampel H, Iwata N (2015) Lithium as a treatment for Alzheimer’s disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Alzheimers Dis. 48:403–410

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Matsuzaki H, Terao T, Inoue T, Takaesu Y, Ishii N, Kohno K, Takeshima M, Baba H, Honma H (2017) Re-analysis of the association of temperature or sunshine with hyperthymic temperament using lithium levels of drinking water. J Affect Disord 223:126–129

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miura T, Noma H, Furukawa TA, Mitsuyasu H, Tanaka S, Stockton S, Salanti G, Motomura K, Shimano-Katsuki S, Leucht S, Cipriani A, Geddes JR, Kanba S (2014) Comparative efficacy and tolerability of pharmacological treatments in the maintenance treatment of bipolar disorder: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Lancet Psychiatry 1:351–359

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nunes PV, Forlenza OV, Gattaz WF (2007) Lithium and risk for Alzheimer’s disease in elderly patients with bipolar disorder. Br J Psychiatry 190:359–360

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nunes MA, Viel TA, Buck HS (2013) Microdose lithium treatment stabilized cognitive impairment in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Curr Alzheimer Res 10:104–107

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ohgami H, Terao T, Shiotsuki I, Ishii N, Iwata N (2009) Lithium levels in drinking water and risk of suicide. Br J Psychiatry 194:464–465

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pompili M, Vichi M, Dinelli E, Pycha R, Valera P, Albanese S, Lima A, De Vivo B, Cicchella D, Fiorillo A, Amore M, Girardi P, Baldessarini RJ (2015) Relationships of local lithium concentrations in drinking water to regional suicide rates in Italy. World J Biol Psychiatry 16:567–574

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schrauzer GN (2002) Lithium: occurrence, dietary intakes, nutritional essentiality. J Am Coll Nutr 21:14–21

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Schrauzer GN, Shrestha KP (1990) Lithium in drinking water and the incidences of crimes, suicides, and arrests related to drug addictions. Biol Trace Elem Res 25:105–113

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sher L (2015) Suicide in men. J Clin Psychiatry 76:e371–e372

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Shiotsuki I, Terao T, Ishii N, Takeuchi S, Kuroda Y, Kohno K, Mizokami Y, Hatano K, Tanabe S, Kanehisa M, Iwata N, Matusda S (2016) Trace lithium is inversely associated with male suicide after adjustment of climatic factors. J Affect Disord 189:282–286

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sugawara N, Yasui-Furukori N, Ishii N, Iwata N, Terao T (2013) Lithium in tap water and suicide mortality in Japan. Int J Environ Res Public Health 10:6044–6048

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  • Terao T, Nakano H, Inoue Y, Okamoto T, Nakamura J, Iwata N (2006) Lithium and dementia: a preliminary study. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry 30:1125–1128

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou X, Ravindran AV, Qin B, Del Giovane C, Li Q, Bauer M, Liu Y, Fang Y, da Silva T, Zhang Y, Fang L, Wang X, Xie P (2015) Comparative efficacy, acceptability, and tolerability of augmentation agents in treatment-resistant depression: systematic review and network meta-analysis. J Clin Psychiatry 76:e487–e498

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neuropsychiatry, Oita University Faculty of Medicine, Idaigaoka 1-1, Hasama-machi, Yufu, Oita, 879-5593, Japan

    Nobuyoshi Ishii & Takeshi Terao

Authors
  1. Nobuyoshi Ishii
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Takeshi Terao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nobuyoshi Ishii.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Ishii, N., Terao, T. Trace lithium and mental health. J Neural Transm 125, 223–227 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-017-1824-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00702-017-1824-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation