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