NO SHORT-TERM CHANGES OF COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE AND MOOD AFTER SINGLE DOSES OF 2 DIFFERENT LITHIUM RETARD PREPARATIONS

This double-blind crossover study investigated the effects of single d oses of lithium carbonate (36.6 mval), lithiumsulfate (36 mval), and p lacebo within the first six hours after administration. The subjects w ere nine healthy volunteers. The target variables were physical compla ints, mood, memory, visuomotor speed, and time estimation. Subjects sh owed no significant impairment of performance in the cognitive tests a nd no subjective changes of well-being under lithium. Therefore, it se ems. that lithium-induced alterations of memory and mood reported in t he literature develop very slowly and do not appear after a single dos e.