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KMID : 0378019660090090031
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New Medical Journal
1966 Volume.9 No. 9 p.31 ~ p.44
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Electroencephalographic Studies of the Effects of Lithium Ion on Drug-Induced Sleep
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Abstract
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Since its discovery by Arfwedson in 1818, lithium´ has been tried in the treatment of various diseases, including urinary calculi, gout and epilepsy. Most of these treatments are now considered useless or contra-indicated. Through Cade´s discovery of a benificial effect of lithium salts on psychotic excitement, attention has once more become focused on the biological effects of the lithium ion. The tragic consequences, in 1949, of the indiscriminate use of lithium salts as a salt substitute have resulted in an almost complete reglect, in certain psychotic states, of this promising therapeutic agent. In recent years, however, evidence has been accumulated indicating that lithium treatment is safe and may be continued indefinitely if regular plasma-assays and careful clinical observations are done. Also, it is widely accepted that lithium ion is of definite clinical value in the treatment of mania and that it is very useful in controlling psychotic excitement found in a variety of psychoses.
So far relatively little work has been done toward the understanding of the mechanisms whereby lithium exerts its definite clinical effects in mania and in other psychotic excitements. Generally, profound, persistent insomnia is one of the most conspicuous symptoms in mania and other psychotic excitements. Such insomnia is quite often unresponsive, even to a high does o hypnotic. Sleep can be readily detected and its depth estimated accurately by electroencephalographic recording. In view of these facts, to investigate one area of the action of the lithium ion, the author conducted electroencephalographic studies of the effects of lithium ion on drug-induced sleep.
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