Preliminary data on a new method for lithium therapy.

Lithium therapy was assessed using electrosleep on two dogs. Cotton swabs soaked in an aqueous isotonic lithium chloride solution were placed over the eyes and mastoids of the dogs, and connected to the electrosleep apparatus. In two minutes, sleep was induced in both dogs, at point 5 (mA) on the intensity scale (which runs 1 to 9 mA). After two hours, the apparatus was turned off. One of the dogs was put under continuous observation, and the other one was sacrified. Parts of its cortex, subcortex, and cerebellum were processed and fragments were assayed spectrophotometrically for Lithium. Lithium was found in all the material examined. These results suggest a possible technique for Lithium therapy using electrosleep, the ion being carried directly to CNS, avoiding systemic toxicity caused by oral administration.