(PO-056) (PO-056) Lithium in traumatic brain injury: A literature review

Introduction:

Consultation-liaison (CL) psychiatrists are frequently consulted to assist with the management of lithium in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients. There are currently no clinical guidelines to help inform these decisions. This paper aims to provide a review of the existing literature on the use of lithium in the management of neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric sequelae in TBI patients.

Methods:

The databases Ovid MEDLINE, EMBASE, APA PsychInfo, and CINAHL were searched for the 27 articles included in this review.

Results:

The existing literature was found to be composed largely of animal studies, case reports, and case series, some of which conflicted with each other with regards to the effectiveness of lithium as a treatment in TBI. The case reports showed instances of neuropsychiatric sequelae of TBI responding well to lithium therapy, and the animal studies suggested that individuals already treated with lithium may recover better neurocognitively post-TBI due to lithium’s neuroprotective mechanisms.

Discussion:

No clinical or dosing guideline could be established using the current body of literature, but some broad guidelines could be drawn. Patients may neurocognitively benefit from their lithium being maintained post-TBI, given the results of the animal studies, and may benefit neuropsychiatrically from treatment with lithium post-TBI. A significant gap in the literature with regards to this subject was identified, and future research directions were identified.

Keywords: Lithium, traumatic brain injury, medical management, psychiatric management, literature review

Learning Objectives:

Patients may neucognitively and neupsychiatrically benefit from treatment with lithium pot-TBI. a significant gap in literature with regards to this subject was identified and future research directions were identified.

Presenting Author(s)

Shweta Aswani, MD
– Research Coordinator , St. Michael's Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada

Co-Author(s)

Myriam Vigny-Pau, MD
– Resident physician, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Shiliang Ge, BHSc
– Medical Student, University of Toronto, Faculty of Medicine, Toronto, ON, Canada
Fallon Ponnambalam, MD
– Research Coordinator, St. Michael's Hospital Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Ananya Pathak
– Student, University of Guelph-Humber, Mississauga, ON, Canada
SB

Shree Bhalerao, FRCP
– consultation psychiatrist, dr shree bhalerao, toronto, ON, Canada