Janusz Rybakowski: Lithium therapy- a personal tale of the recent decade

 

Barry Blackwell’s comment (review)

 

        This impressive 445-page volume focusses on the most recent decade of the author’s career- long devotion to research on lithium of which Janusz Rybakowski has been in the forefront since 1970, just over half a century.

        The tale of the recent decade is told in 37 chapters although its themes extend over the lifetime of the metallic ion. The first chapter is a succinct synopsis of the element’s therapeutic history from 1817 and its first use for gout.

        Prelude to this book Janusz has 163 publications featured in the Pub Med part of a total of 700 with a Hirsh Index of 56, including two books, Faces of Manic Depressive Illness (2009) and  Lithium: the Amazing Drug in Psychiatry (2020), all of which earned him a Lifetime Career Award from the World Federation of Biological Psychiatry in 2018.

        Many of his accomplishments were made while he was Head of Adult Psychiatry at Poznan University in Poland from 1995-2016.

        Of the 27 chapters in this volume Janusz is the only author of 15, first author of 10 and last author with junior colleagues of 12. The number of references varies from 5 to 121.

Chapter Topics

1. Recent Decade of Lithium Use and Research

2. Sixty Year History of Lithium Use

3. Excellent Responders (cognitive & neurotropic factors)

4. Neuropsychiatry 2010 update

5. Genetic Polymorphism and Lithium Responders

6. Candidate Genes and Prophylactic Efficacy

7&8. Markers for Kidney Damage in Long Term Use

9. Gene Polymorphism and Kidney Function

10. Genetic Influences on Response to Mood Stabilizers

11. Temperament and Response to Long Term Treatment

12. Polymorphism of Circadian genes on prophylactic lithium response

13. Factors Associated with Lithium Efficacy

14. Clinical and Genetic Factors and Response

15. Thyroid Function Side Effects in Long Term Lithium Therapy

16. Neurobiology and Temperament in Offspring of Excellent Lithium Responders

17. Psychotropic Drugs and Personality Change (lithium & others)

18. Effect of Lithium on Neurocognitive Function

19. Renal Sonography in Long term Lithium Use

20. Kidney, Thyroid and Organ Function after 40 or more years use of Lithium

21. Effect of Lithium on Stem Cells

22. Peripheral mRNA in Long Term Lithium Use

23. Increased mRNA in Long Term Lithium Use

24. Changing the Negative Perception of Lithium and Optimizing its Long Term Use

25. Mogens Schou: Scientist, Doctor and Lithium Champion

26. Stem Cells and Pluripotency (mRNA) in Long Term Lithium Use

27. Herpes Simplex Virus (Type 1) in Alzheimers

28. User Guide for Lithium Users

29. Thyroid Function in Treated and Untreated Lithium Patients

30. Glutamate Antibodies and Insulin Growth Factor (IGF-1) and Lithium Prophylaxis

30. Glutamate Antibodies and Insulin Growth Factor (IGF-I) in lithium prophylaxis

31. Use of Lithium in Poland (2004-2017)

32. Lithium Treatment and Personalized Medicine

33. Lithium, Past, Present and Future

34. Lithium Treatment; State of the Art, 2020

35. Ultra Long Term Lithium Therapy

36. Benefits of Long Term Lithium Treatment

37. Long Term Therapy in Literature and Art

 

May 12, 2022