The effect of lithium carbonate on affect, mood, and personality of normal subjects.

Data reflecting affect, mood, and personality attributes of 23 normal men were compared after two weeks of placebo administration and two weeks of therapeutic serum lithium levels (mean, 0.91 mEq/liter). The study was a placebo-controlled, split-half crossover, double-blind design. Affect and mood were measured by three self-rating instruments, independent rater observation, and by the subjects' "significant others." Two personality inventories were administered. Substantial affect and mood changes are induced by lithium carbonate. Lethargy, dysphoria, a loss of interest in interacting with others and the environment, and a state of increased mental confusion were reported. No generalized effects were found in the responses to ther personality inventories.

Lithium carbonate and ethanol induced "highs" in normal subjects.

The responses of twenty-three normal male subjects to a standardized dose of 95% ethanol (1.32 ml/kg of body weight) were compared after two weeks of placebo and two weeks of therapeutic serum lithium ion levels (mean 0.91 mEq/liter). The study was a placebo controlled, split-half crossover, double-blind design. Prealcohol and postalcohol responses were assessed by self-rating scales of affect and mood, independent rater observation, perceptual-motor, and cognitive performance tasks. Pretreatment by lithium carbonate neither blocked nor dampened an alcohol-induced subjective "high" in normal subjects. A complex reciprocal interaction may exist between the effects of lithium and alcohol upon other behavioral attributes. Alcohol was seen to reverse aspects of lithium-induced dysphoria and there is a suggestion that lithium may attenuate alcohol-induced cognitive inefficiency.

A graphical presentation of three-dimensional joint mobility.

Reduction of joint mobility in humans is a very common medical condition which results from trauma or joint disease. However, there is currently no satisfactory way of plotting the three-dimensional rotations which completely define this mobility. The most usual method of presenting the results from the many systems for measuring joint mobility is to plot graphs of the three angles of rotation, individually, against time, or to plot two angles of rotation against one another. However, this latter excludes the third angle of rotation which has to be presented separately. This paper suggests a technique known as the hemispherical projection method for the plotting of three-dimensional joint mobility data. The technique is derived from the fields of structural geology and rock mechanics where it is used for presenting and analysing orientation information on discontinuity planes in rock. Data from human hip and spine movements have now been successfully plotted using a microcomputer. This will provide an opportunity for straightforward comparison of movements between individuals and patient groups using the shape of the output graphs as a clinical aid. In addition, it is suggested that 'indices of mobility' may be derived from the plots. These indices could be used to quantify joint disability using the area enclosed by, and the asymmetry of, the plot.

The effects of lithium carbonate upon subjective state changes induced by sodium pentobarbital.

Behavioral and mood changes were measured for 8 normal male subjects after oral administration of sodium pentobarbital (3 mg/kg body weight). This procedure was repeated on three occasions: firstly a drug-free condition; then a condition following two weeks of maintenance 0.7 to 1.2 MEQ/L lithium carbonate; and then another drug-free condition. Intial analyses indicated a lowering of the level of euphoria reached in the lithium pentobarbital condition below that achieved after pentobarbital alone. Examination of this effect showed that the reduction after pentobarbital plus lithium was mirrored by a reduction in the baseline for the same response items due to lithium alone. The lessening of euphoria appeared to result from a general lowering of affect due to lithium maintenance. More detailed analyses showed that the quantitative response to pentobarbital was in no case reduced by lithium condition. Certain reversal effects were also discovered in which lithium plus pentobarbital acted in the opposite direction from pentobarbital alone.