Fatal Neurological Conditions

For most patients suffering from fatal neurological conditions, much of the treatment involves managing the symptoms of the disease rather than curing it. In this manner, the patient may be able to enjoy a better quality of life than if he or she had not gone for treatment.

Lithium shows promise

However, some hope may lie in the results of a study conducted at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute involving the use of lithium on laboratory mice. In these tests, it was shown that the drug–which is commonly used in the treatment of mood disorders in humans–might be able to provide some measure of relief from the symptoms of fatal neurological conditions.

The research team headed by Huda Y. Zoghbi conducted a series of experiments in which it was shown that lithium might be able to help reduce the symptoms of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1. This condition belongs to the category of inherited neurodegenerative disorders. While the researchers stopped short of calling lithium a cure for fatal neurological conditions, Zoghbi did express optimism, saying that lithium apparently causes the improvement in more than one symptom of the condition.

Implications

The findings of these studies are particular significant, since they hint at the possible value of the drug as a means to address patients’ impairment with regard to:

• Motor coordination
• Learning
• Memory

All these are symptoms commonly associated with fatal neurological conditions.

At present, there are relatively few treatment methods for fatal neurological conditions, which makes these developments even more significant. Most patients who suffer from fatal neurological conditions were diagnosed with the condition in their thirties or forties, and they usually experience a quick decline, and pass away a few years after being diagnosed with the condition.

Not a cure

As mentioned previously, Zoghbi emphasized that lithium is not a definite cure for fatal neurological conditions by any means. However, the results that show its benefits in terms of reducing the symptoms and generally improving the quality of life of spinocerebellar ataxia patients seems to hint at a promise for the future. One other factor in favor of lithium as a potential treatment for fatal neurological conditions is the fact that it is widely used by humans. This means that the process of implementing tests on human subjects can proceed much quicker compared to the testing of new drugs. This would also mean less safety trials, since the drug has already been proven safe for human consumption.

Zogbhi stated that what is essential at present is a study testing the effectiveness of lithium against fatal neurological conditions. This early on, a number of scientists and medical practitioners have already voiced their support for further studies to determine the potential of lithium. And the potential is a very real one indeed, given lithium's effectiveness in the treatment of a variety of brain related conditions in the past. While it remains uncertain why the drug works the way it does, Zoghbi suspects that the answer to how it may be effective in the treatment of fatal neurological conditions seems to lie in how the drug affects gene transcription.