BRAIN LITHIUM LEVELS IN BIPOLAR INDIVIDUALS

这个子项目是许多研究子项目中利用 资源由NIH/NCRR资助的中心拨款提供。子项目和 调查员(PI)可能从NIH的另一个来源获得了主要资金， 并因此可以在其他清晰的条目中表示。列出的机构是 该中心不一定是调查人员的机构。 这个项目将比较有稳定剂量锂化合物双相情感障碍病史的受试者的血清锂水平和脑锂水平。大脑锂水平将使用锂-7磁共振波谱(7LiMRS)进行测量。这项研究的主要目的是确定7LiMRS在确定非洲裔黑人与西欧裔白人脑/血清锂比率方面的差异。由于脑锂可能是治疗反应的关键决定因素，7LiMRS对脑锂的测量最终可能对指导该制剂的合理治疗具有重要的临床意义。这项研究项目旨在改善接受锂治疗的非洲裔黑人的精神卫生保健。尽管大量的经验证据表明，非洲裔黑人的红细胞Na-Li逆向转运减少，但已建立的锂治疗指南没有考虑到红细胞Na-Li逆向转运的种族变异性的混杂变量。这是一项令人兴奋的研究，因为它将提高我们以对种族/民族差异敏感的方式提供精神护理的能力。这项研究于2001年获得批准。我们已经注册了4年的科目，现在已经接近尾声了。预计我们将分析未来两年的数据。将对400名潜在受试者进行筛查，以确定25名非洲裔黑人受试者和25名西欧裔白人受试者，这些受试者心情愉快，正在服用稳定剂量的锂制剂，用于治疗躁郁症或分裂情感性疾病。

This subproject is one of many research subprojects utilizing the resources provided by a Center grant funded by NIH/NCRR. The subproject and investigator (PI) may have received primary funding from another NIH source, and thus could be represented in other CRISP entries. The institution listed is for the Center, which is not necessarily the institution for the investigator. This project will compare serum lithium levels to brain lithium levels in subjects with histories of bipolar illness on a stable dose of lithium compounds. Brain lithium levels will be measured using Lithium-7 magnetic resonance spectroscopy (7LiMRS). The principal aim of this study is to establish the utility of 7LiMRS in determining differences in brain-to-serum lithium ratios in Blacks of African descent compared to Whites of Western European descent. Since brain lithium may be a critical determinant of treatment response, measurement of brain lithium by 7LiMRS may ultimately be clinically important for guiding rational therapy with this agent. This research project is directed at improving mental health care for Blacks of African descent treated with lithium. Despite abundant empirical evidence that Na-Li countertransport is decreased in the erythrocytes of Blacks of African descent, established guidelines for lithium treatment do not consider the confounding variable of racial variability in erythrocyte Na-Li countertransport. This is an exciting study, as it will improve our ability to provide psychiatric care in a manner sensitive to racial/ethnic differences. This study was approved in 2001. We have been enrolling subjects for 4 years and are near the end of enrollment. It is anticipate that we will be analyzing data for the next two years. Four hundred potential subjects will be screened to identify 25 Black subjects of African descent and 25 White subjects of Western European descent who are euthymic and on stable doses of lithium preparations for the treatment of bipolar or schizoaffective illness.