Lithium administration to preadolescent rats causes long-lasting increases in anxiety-like behavior and has molecular consequences.

Lithium (Li) is frequently used in the treatment of bipolar disorder (BPD), a debilitating condition that is increasingly diagnosed in children and adolescents. Because the symptoms of BPD in children are different from the typical symptoms in adulthood and have significant overlap with other childhood psychiatric disorders, this disorder is notoriously difficult to diagnose. This raises the possibility that some children not affected by BPD are treated with Li during key periods of brain development.