Lithium carbonate in the treatment of movement disorders. A critical review.

In this paper, the efficacy of lithium therapy in the treatment of tardive dyskinesia is reviewed. It is noted that most of the published papers on this topic are anecdotal and single case reports with contradictory results. The well-designed studies indicate that lithium is useful in certain tardive dyskinesia patients and that the red blood cell lithium level may be related to the therapeutic response. Therefore, on the basis of the available information, we conclude that routine clinical application of lithium in the treatment of tardive dyskinesia is not warranted. However, further evaluation of lithium in the treatment of tardive dyskinesia and identification of the responders are extremely useful. In addition, as suggested by animal studies, the prophylactic value of this agent against tardive dyskinesia needs exploration.