A simple question answered: Adding moderate-dosage lithium does not help patients with bipolar disorder

摘要

Bipolar disorder is conventionally denned by the presence of discrete episodes of mania (or hypomania in the case of bipolar II disorder) and depression, but this definition does not fully encompass the true character and course of the syndrome. The majority of patients with bipolar disorder experience persistent interepisode mood symptoms and an intrinsic vulnerability to affective lability (1, 2). Thus, the lives of many patients with bipolar disorder (as well as those who love them) are complicated-and to a certain extent limited-by this persistent mood burden. It leads to markedly diminished quality of life, functioning, and productivity both for the patients (3, 4) and for their family and friends (5).