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Examining Lithium's Mechanism in Bipolar Disorder

NCT07750925 · Status: NOT_YET_RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 45

Last updated 2026-08-06

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

The primary objective of the current study is to examine the acute effect of lithium on the visual and non-visual responses to light in a sample of healthy participants. Our experiments will investigate the effects of lithium on light sensitivity at the level of the retina as well as central visual and non-visual pathways.

Our primary hypothesis is that the administration of lithium to healthy volunteers will reduce the magnitude of a range of non-visual responses to light including melatonin suppression, alertness, performance, mood and electrophysiology in a manner that is dependent of the amount of lithium in the brain. To better understand the postulated effects of lithium on light sensitivity and to examine its relationship at the level of the retina, we will assess the visual and non-visual responses to light, as well as the distribution of lithium in the brain using a non-invasive imaging technique. In addition to that, we also aim to examine the impact of both lithium and light on a molecular level through whole blood transcriptome sequencing.

Conditions

Interventions

DRUG

Lithium carbonate (Priadel)

Oral lithium carbonate 600 mg daily for 7 days prior to the second laboratory assessment (and for both days while in the laboratory)

OTHER

Controlled light exposure

Participants undergo 90-minute dim light (\<1 lux) and light exposure (100-850 lux) conditions during laboratory assessments to evaluate visual and non-visual responses to light.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Newcastle University

    collaborator OTHER

  • Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust

    collaborator OTHER

  • Northumbria University

    lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Max Age
40 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2026-08-01
Primary Completion
2028-04-30
Completion
2029-04-30

Countries

  • United Kingdom

Study Locations

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Entities

Diseases

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT07750925 on ClinicalTrials.gov