[Neuroendocrinological changes under longterm therapy with lithium salts (author's transl)].

15 patients with formerly endogenous recurrent depression or manic-depressive illness free of psychotic symptoms, who are under lithium prophylaxis about 3,9 years, and 16 healthy controls with approximately the same age and sex were tested with 0,1 U Insulin/kg, 200 micrograms TRH and 50 micrograms LHRH for their hGH-, TSH-, hPRL-, FSH-, LH-and Cortisol levels about 2 hours. hPRL, FSH and LH did not show any change under lithium salts. All patients under lithium showed elevated TSH-levels under basal conditions and after stimulation compared with the control groups. For the young women before menopause the difference was highly significant. Men and praemenopausal women had significantly higher hGH-levels after stimulation under lithium than the normal controls. However postmenopausal women did not show this lithium effect on their hGH levels.