How does lithium work on manic depression? Clinical and psychological correlates of the inositol theory.

How lithium works in manic-depressive illness is unknown. Recently, however, a powerful hypothesis has been gaining momentum. Distinguished by its testability and clinical implications, the inositol depletion hypothesis of lithium action is relevant to treatment of lithium side effects, to the development of new compounds with the clinical profile of lithium, and to new experimental treatment of depression.