Lithium from mood stabilizer to putative cognitive enhancer

This study is the first to have demonstrated, by means of a highly sensitive test of visual memory, a potential hippocampus neuroprotective effect of lithium in patients with BD. Undoubtedly, other studies are needed to finally recognize lithium as a potential cognitive enhancer. Future studies should include, apart from highly sensitive cognitive tests, specific neurotrophic biomarkers, such as BDNF, NGF, etc. Finally, it will be of outmost importance to evaluate the minimal length of treatment and the optimum serum level in order to combine potential clinical benefit and, particularly for older patients, clinical safety.