Lithium is used to treat which condition?

• A. Bipolar disorder manic episodes
• B. Major depressive disorder
• C. Generalized anxiety disorder
• D. Schizophrenia

Answer: (A)

Lithium is a classic mood stabilizer used to treat bipolar disorder, particularly to control manic episodes and to help prevent mood episodes from cycling. In mania, lithium helps dampen the excessive mood elevation, activity, and racing thoughts, stabilizing the overall mood over time. It works through effects on neuronal signaling and neuroprotection, including inhibition of certain signaling pathways like inositol phosphate signaling and GSK-3, which helps normalize mood swings.

This makes it the best choice for manic episodes in bipolar disorder. It’s not typically used as monotherapy for major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, or schizophrenia, where other classes of medications are the standard treatments.