Lithium's Effect on Fragile X Mice

Lithium treatment reverses some of the behavioral and brain-cell abnormalities in mouse models of fragile X syndrome ― an inherited form of mental retardation that includes learning deficits, aggressiveness, and social withdrawal ― according to research presented today at the Society for Neuroscience meeting.Doctors have for about 50 years prescribed lithium salts for mood problems, such as bipolar disorder. Three years ago, scientists found that lithium reduces memory deficits and repairs neuronal defects in a Drosophila model of fragile X.In August, an open-label clinical trial of two months of lithium treatment of 15 people with fragile X found that the chemical alleviates irritability, inappropriate speech and aggressive behavior.The results presented at the conference are the first to investigate the effect on brain cells of mouse models of the disorder, according to Zhong-Hua Liu, a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health who presented the data.Read more at...SFARI, November 2008.