SynthesisCurrent neuropharmacology2019
Putative Mechanisms of Action and Clinical Use of Lithium in Children and Adolescents: A Critical Review.
Synthesis in Current neuropharmacology, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
18 citing papers in PubMed, 34 citations in OpenAlex.
- Lithium for Radiation-Induced Damage in Pediatric Brain Tumors: Preclinical Evidence and Clinical Perspectives.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- Prediction of Lithium Therapeutic Target Attainment in Adolescents Using an XGBoost Model: A Single-Center Retrospective Study.Drug design, development and therapy · 2026Article
- Can Adjunctive Lithium Therapy Influence Emotional Dysregulation in Adolescents? Findings from a Retrospective Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Efficacy and Safety of Lithium for Suicide and Suicide-Related Behaviors in Youth: A Review of the Literature.Brain sciences · 2024Review
- Extended-Release Lithium Treatment for Adolescents with Bipolar Disorder with or Without Comorbid Autism Spectrum Disorder: Protocol of a Longitudinal Prospective Naturalistic Study for the Assessment of Efficacy and Tolerability.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Article
- Lithium use in childhood and adolescence, peripartum, and old age: an umbrella review.International journal of bipolar disorders · 2023Review
- Lithium and Valproic Acid in Bipolar Disorders and Beyond.Current neuropharmacology · 2023Article
- Comorbidities in Youth with Bipolar Disorder: Clinical Features and Pharmacological Management.Current neuropharmacology · 2023Review
- Management of Emotion Dysregulation and Outbursts in Children and Adolescents.Current psychiatry reports · 2022Review
- Promises and Pitfalls of NMDA Receptor Antagonists in Treating Violent Aggression.Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience · 2022Article
- Bioactivity and Antibacterial Behaviors of Nanostructured Lithium-Doped Hydroxyapatite for Bone Scaffold Application.International journal of molecular sciences · 2021Article
- Translational evidence for lithium-induced brain plasticity and neuroprotection in the treatment of neuropsychiatric disorders.Translational psychiatry · 2021Review
- Drug development post COVID-19 pandemic: toward a better system to meet current and future global health challenges.Expert opinion on drug discovery · 2021Article
- Population Pharmacokinetics of Lithium in Young Pediatric Patients With Intellectual Disability.Frontiers in pharmacology · 2021Article
- Lithium and the Interplay Between Telomeres and Mitochondria in Bipolar Disorder.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2020Review
- Lithium improved behavioral and epileptic symptoms in an adolescent with ring chromosome 20 and bipolar disorder not otherwise specified.Clinical case reports · 2018Article
- Lithium Treatment Is Safe in Children With Intellectual Disability.Frontiers in molecular neuroscience · 2018Article
- Lithium treatment in bipolar adolescents: a follow-up naturalistic study.Neuropsychiatric disease and treatment · 2018Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
10 authors at 8 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundLithium is a first-line treatment for bipolar disorder in adults, but its mechanism of action is still far from clear. Furthermore, evidences of its use in pediatric populations are sparse, not only for bipolar disorders, but also for other possible indications.
objectivesTo provide a synthesis of published data on the possible mechanisms of action of lithium, as well as on its use in pediatric samples, including pharmacokinetics, efficacy, and safety data.
methodsClinical trials in pediatric samples with at least one standardized measure of efficacy/ effectiveness were included in this review. We considered: i) randomized and open label trials, ii) combination studies iii) augmentation studies iv) case series including at least 5 patients.
resultsDifferent and non-alternative mechanisms of action can explain the clinical efficacy of lithium. Clinical studies in pediatric samples suggest that lithium is effective in managing manic symptoms/episodes of bipolar disorder, both in the acute phase and as maintenance strategy. Efficacy on depressive symptoms/phases of bipolar disorder is much less clear, while studies do not support its use in unipolar depression and severe mood dysregulation. Conversely, it may be effective on aggression in the context of conduct disorder. Other possible indications, with limited published evidence, are the acute attacks in Kleine-Levin syndrome, behavioral symptoms of X-fragile syndrome, and the management of clozapine- or chemotherapy- induced neutropenia. Generally, lithium resulted relatively safe.
conclusionsLithium seems an effective and well-tolerated medication in pediatric bipolar disorder and aggression, while further evidences are needed for other clinical indications.
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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.