Citation

Martínez-Aguayo JC, Silva H, Arancibia M, Angulo C. J. Neuroeuropsychiatry (Santiago, Chile) 2016; 54(1): 41-51.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2016, Society of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry, Chile)

DOI

10.4067/s0717-92272016000100006

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

Lithium and anticonvulsants have been widely used as mood stabilizers (MS) in bipolar affective disorder (BAD), showing a reduction of suicide risk, even more, the anti-suicidal effect of lithium would be independent of its stabilizer property. The action mechanisms of the drug are not completely known and clinical research is hampered due to the heterogeneity of the studied samples, however, some mechanisms related to neurotransmitters metabolism and neurotrophic and neuroprotective factors have been proposed in order to explain its effect. Despite the current decline in the use of lithium as a MS it remains as the anti-suicidal drug of choice in bipolar patients. © 2016, Sociedad de Neurologia Psiquiatria y Neurocirugia. All rights reserved.

Language: es

Keywords

Suicide; Lithium; Mood stabilizer; Bipolar affective disorder; Anticonvulsants