Optimizing Response to Li Treatment Through Personalized Evaluation of Individuals With Bipolar I Disorder: The R-LiNK Initiative

Bipolar disorder (BD), especially BD type I, is a highly prevalent mental disorder and a is a highly prevalent mental disorder and an important factor for suicide. Lithium is the key treatment for prevention of BD relapse and has a proven suicide prevention effect. Whilst many cases become asymptomatic with lithium treatment, the majority show sub-optimal response. The objectives of this project are to: * improve outcomes of bipolar I disorder (BDI) cases prescribed lithium through the application of stratified approaches * optimize the early prediction of lithium response using a set of multi-modal biomarkers ("blood omics", Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Li7-Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy derived-markers) * develop a multidisciplinary multinational network of experts to undertake this and future projects on personalized diagnostics and therapeutics and * implement new, powerful technologies to characterize brain lithium distribution and the blood molecular signature of lithium in responders and non-responders. This cutting edge approach will identify the eligibility criteria for treatment with lithium in BD in terms of response, safety and tolerability.