Lithium, the treatment of choice for mania since its usefulness was first reported, has been shown to have varied effects on multiple biological systems, including electrolyte flux and neurochemistry. Recent advances in cellular and molecular biology promise to provide clinicians with a better understanding of the etiology of bipolar disorder and new options for treatment.

Bipolar Medications: Mechanisms of Action presents the treatment and prophylaxis of bipolar disorder. More than 40 investigators share research and insight into the neurobiological mechanisms that help to explain the powerful effects of new antibipolar drugs. This comprehensive text * Examines valproic acid, lamotrigine, inositol monophosphatase inhibitors, and protein kinase C inhibitors that have the potential to revolutionize clinical practice and provide new hypotheses on the etiology of bipolar disorder

* Presents the current understanding of the cellular mechanisms of action of mood-stabilizing agents

* Discusses the emergence of valproate as a powerful lithium alternative and examines the preliminary indications that lamotrigine will be an effective option

* Examines the issue of withdrawal rebound, which can make lithium ineffective or even counterproductive, and reviews inositol monophosphatase inhibitors that mimic lithium action in patients

* Compares lithium, carbamazepine, and valproate and their differential mechanisms, which could form the basis of a "rational polypharmacy" of manic depressive illness

* Examines behavioral models important in the screening of new antibipolar compounds and the effects of antibipolar compounds on immediate early genes

Complete with extensive references, tables, and figures, this text is essential reading for any clinician who treats patients with bipolar disorder. It thoroughly documents the latest in psychopharmacology, as well as projecting future advances in the treatment of bipolar disorder.