Posted by danf on November 3, 2000, at 17:35:46
In reply to Re: Article: Lithium increases brain volume ?, posted by SLS on November 3, 2000, at 14:27:27
scott,
thanks again for this most excellent discussion.
I agree that Li does not stabilize axonal propagation, hence it is not a good anticonvulsant.
One of the real questions is, does Li really do a whole lot of things or does it stabilize a part of the neural net, & by changing that regulatory activity of part of the net, change the whole net ?
In other words is it a simple effect on a complex part, or a complex effect on a simple part ?
This study wanted to imply that gray matter tissue was increased. A 3 % volume change is well within the possible range of a solute /solvent shift, rather than something more complex, requiring active metabolic changes..
> Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe you frequently verbalize that "we", in general, don't have
> enough of a grasp of what goes on in the brain with regard to affective-disorders to so quickly
> embrace or reject explanations as to what is going on there.& I still agree very much with that.
Perhaps you misunderstood me...
What ever theory fits the data best in the end, is the one most accepted.
There are some other writers that think, Li may promote healing ???
One of the major problems with brain injury & disease is that adult human brains are not very plastic. If alternate neural pathways exist, they may be put to use to make up for damaged ones.
There is little evidence that new pathways are ever formed in the adult brain.
Injured spinal cords ??? a real tuffie.. I think we are more likely to learn how the brain works with mental disorders Than to get a severed spinal cord to work again.
poster:danf
thread:47998
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20001102/msgs/48144.html