Effects of one-week lithium treatment on skilled performance, information processing, and mood in healthy volunteers.

In a double-blind study, effects of lithium on skilled performance, information processing, and mood were studied in 12 healthy men. Lithium was administered for 1 week and the average, steady state, serum lithium concentration on the morning of testing was 0.8 mEq/liter. Lithium had a non-specific, minor, but consistent effect of prolonging reaction times. Most subjects reported increased anxiety, faintness-dizziness, nervousness-shakiness, and feeling "blue" during and immediately after lithium treatment.