THE ROLE OF HEREDITY, CLINICAL AND PHARMACOKINETIC FACTORS IN THE PREDICTION OF LITHIUM-SALTS PROPHYLACTIC EFFECT

In the framework of a multicentre WHO reseach program results of prophylactic treatment with lithium carbonate of 77 patients with affective phasic disorders were compared with a series of clinical parameters, specificity sf lithium pharmacokinetics and the background characteristics of families in the groups of responders (68.8%) and non-responders. Correlations of efficacy with pharmacokinetic parameters were absent. Better preventive effect of lithium salts took place in male patients with disharmonic features of premorbid personality if their disease and prophylactic treatment started in young or in the middle age, if the disease was diagnosed as bipolar form or manic-depressive psycnosis and attained its cyclothymic level with a periodical type of the prior phases. A significant accumulation of affective psychoses was found in the families of the responders. Possibility of prognostic significance of all the analyzed indices is discussed.