Lithium and bipolar brains

A team of researchers led by Brian Hallahan from the National University of Ireland in Galway have carried out a review of studies into brain volume, bipolar disorder and the effectiveness of lithium. They found that people with bipolar disorder had increased right lateral ventricular, left temporal lobe and right putamen volumes and decreased cerebral and hippocampal volumes. The longer people had been ill for the greater their cerebral volume reduction. However, people with bipolar disorder who took lithium had less reduction in these areas and showed increases in hippocampal and amygdala volume.