Study: Brain Lithium Levels Track Blood Levels, More Stable with Twice-Daily Dosing

A new study using advanced 7Li MRI technology has revealed how lithium behaves in the brain of patients with bipolar disorder, offering insights that could help personalize treatment.

The research, published in The Lancet Psychiatry, was conducted by Newcastle University and Technische Universität Dresden.

Key Findings

Brain and blood lithium levels did not differ between once and twice daily dosing at the standard 12-hour post-dose monitoring time point.

• Brain lithium levels were more stable with twice daily dosing.
• Brain lithium levels were found to be higher in white matter than grey matter.
• The study involved 41 white European patients stable on lithium (20 on once-daily, 21 on twice-daily regimens) who underwent three consecutive 7Li MRI scans and serum sampling over 10 hours.

Implications for Patient Care

The findings carry several important implications for current practice and future personalization:

Reassurance for monitoring: The comparable brain levels at the 12-hour post-dose measurement reassure current monitoring practices that blood tests remain a reliable proxy.

Potential for personalized treatment: Differences in brain lithium patterns between regimens may allow personalized treatment based on convenience, adherence, side effects, and circadian rhythms.

About the Technology

7Li MRI is a multinuclear imaging technique developed at Newcastle University and established across Europe as part of the Horizon 2020 R-LiNK initiative.