Identification of markers of lithium response in bipolar disorder

Lithium is one of the oldest psychiatric drugs and remains the first-line treatment in the management of bipolar disorder. Studies show that lithium can significantly reduce suicide risk and also help prevent future manic and depressive episodes. As a result, it may be prescribed for long periods of time as maintenance therapy. However, clinical response to lithium is diverse, with some patients responding effectively and others failing to benefit from treatment. The pharmacological therapy in bipolar disorder is empirical, requiring trial and error until a new effective drug is found. This can be very disruptive in patients’ lives, reducing productivity and quality of life. Apart from the imposing social costs of bipolar disorder, it also has a substantial economic impact worldwide. This project aims to understand lithium response in bipolar disorder to find better treatment solutions and therefore improve symptoms quicker, reducing the burden of the disease and allowing the patients to return to daily routine with less side effects and disruption throughout their lives.

Faculty Supervisor:

Ana Andreazza

Student:

Partner:

Deakin University (Geelong Campus)

Discipline:

Life Sciences

Sector:

Education

University:

University of Toronto

Program: