A cause of Bipolar Disorder discovered thanks to lithium

Research on this drug has found how variants of this disorder can appear.

Although bipolar disorder affects between 1% and 3% of the population, the great variability of its possible causesAlthough bipolar disorder affects between 1% and 3% of the population, the great variability of its possible causes means that its nature remains relatively unknown. Something similar happened until recently with lithium, the drug of choice in the treatment of this disorder, which has been used for decades without its mechanism of action being known.

A study by Evan Snyder, Brian Tobe and others recently published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences has provided fundamental clues about lithium's the mechanism of action of lithium and the cause of cases of bipolar disorder that improve with this drug. Specifically, they have detected alterations in the CRMP2 protein.

Characteristics of the Bipolar Disorder

The bipolar disorder is characterized by the appearance of periods of between weeks and months in which the state of spirit is pathologically low (depression), together with others in which the levels of energy increase significantly and a sense of emotional euphoria predominates (mania)..

Both episodes of mania and depression interfere significantly with normal functioning; in fact, this disorder is the sixth most common cause of disability in the world population.

Specifically, a diagnosis of bipolar disorder is associated with a marked increase in the risk of suicide and suicidality. increased risk of suicide and self-harm.. This is one of the reasons why it is usually treated with powerful medications; if these do not work, electroconvulsive therapy may even be applied.

The causes of this disorder

The onset of bipolar disorder has been linked to a number of different causes. It is believed that genetic inheritance accounts for about 70% of the risk of developing this disorder.about 70% of the risk of developing this disorder.

However, the specific causal genes are not clear, as they seem to vary from case to case; the dominant hypothesis is that multiple genes are involved.

In addition, the finding of structural and functional alterations in regions such as the lateral ventricles, basal ganglia and amygdala suggests that anatomical and physiological factors also play a relevant causal role.

On the other hand, not all people with a biological predisposition to bipolar disorder develop it. For this to happen, psychosocial stress psychosocial stress, especially during the early stages of life.It is striking that 30-50% of those affected report having suffered abuse or trauma in childhood.

What is lithium?

Lithium is a chemical element of the metal family. It is the lightest solid element, and therefore also the lightest metal. At the pharmacological level, lithium salts are used to regulate mood in the treatment of bipolar in the treatment of bipolar disorder and similar psychological problems such as schizoaffective disorder or cyclical depression.

Among other effects, lithium decreases the risk of suicide in people with these disorders. Although it is the drug of choice for treating bipolar disorder, lithium is only effective in about one third of affected individuals.

Moreover, since the therapeutic dose is very close to the toxic dose, lithium carries risks and causes relevant side symptoms and adverse reactions, such as emotional dullness, weight gain, muscle tremors, nausea or the occurrence of Diabetes insipidus and hypothyroidism.

Lithium was first used as a psychotropic drug about 60 years ago. While its efficacy in its efficacy in treating the symptoms of bipolar disorder (as we have seen, in one-third of the (as we have seen, in a third of the cases) has been widely demonstrated in this time, until very recently the cause of these effects, that is to say, its mechanism of action, was not known.

The mechanism of action of lithium

The research team headed by Evan Snyder analyzed the brain cells of people with bipolar disorder, distinguishing between those that responded well to lithium and those that did not. Specifically, they used artificial stem cells to study the pathway of lithium once it has been introduced into the body.

Snyder and coworkers found that in cases of bipolar disorder that benefit from lithium treatment, the CRMP2 protein is involved. CRMP2 protein, which regulates the central nervous system, is involved in cases of bipolar disorder that benefit from lithium treatment.. It appears that CRMP2 activity is altered, as it is much lower in these patients than in those who do not respond adequately to lithium.

This finding indicates that there are different variants of bipolar disorder, which reinforces the prevailing theory that it is a polygenic disorder (i.e. not determined by a single gene).

Discovery of lithium's mechanism of action can favor the development of more effective drugs with fewer side effects, because it and with fewer side effects, since it allows focusing research efforts on the most relevant biological processes.

Likewise, the study by Snyder's team suggests that the identification of the causes of bipolar disorder in each specific case should be considered a determining aspect in the choice of the most appropriate pharmacological treatment for the individual.