Benefits of lithium in bipolar disorder

Lithium is considered the closest thing to a cure for bipolar disorder due to its superior effectiveness in preventing relapse and addressing the underlying pathophysiology of the disease. Its benefits include stabilizing the biological clock, altering the expression of circadian rhythm genes, increasing mitochondrial reserve capacity, and providing neuroprotective effects. A study published in Nature in 2016 demonstrated that lithium can reverse hyper-excitability in brain cells derived from the hippocampus of patients with bipolar disorder, highlighting its potential in mitigating the negative effects on brain structure associated with the illness.