THE USE OF LITHIUM IN THE AFFECTIVE PSYCHOSES (REPRINTED)

Lithium carbonate has been used with caution and control at the New Yo rk State Psychiatric Institute for the past six years. Nineteen patien ts, 15 of whom had at least two well-documented prior manic attack, we re given 25 trials of lithium after therapeutic refractoriness on phen othiazines. Eleven of the 25 manic episodes had good responses to lith ium treatment; the individual manic attack was definitely shortened as compared with the patient's past attacks. The authors suggest that li thium may be the treatment of choice for phenothiazine-refractory or p henothiazine-allergic manic patients treated in a research setting.