Lithium could help the brain’s mood-regulation network function more like a healthy one.

What Is the Study About?

A study by Boere et al. (2026), published in Translational Psychiatry (Nature Publishing Group), reviewed 115 brain-imaging studies and focused on the frontolimbic network.

The frontolimbic network is involved in emotions, memory, decision-making, and mood regulation.

Frontolimbic network. Source: Boere et al. (2026) 

In people with bipolar disorder, the frontolimbic network may have smaller volumes and impaired functioning. However, lithium appears to help restore the function and structure of these regions.

The review showed that people with bipolar disorder who were treated with lithium had:

• Larger volumes of frontolimbic network regions compared with people with bipolar disorder who were not taking lithium.

• Stronger connections between the network’s regions.

• Brain activity and connectivity patterns that were closer to those observed in healthy people.

What Are the Limitations of the Study?

Lithium may help stabilize bipolar disorder partly by protecting or normalizing brain networks involved in mood and emotional regulation.

However, the paper does not prove that lithium directly repairs or enlarges the brain. Most included studies were observational or compared different groups of patients, making it difficult to determine cause and effect.

Author

Vlada Sukhanovskaya

Curious to Learn More? Read Next:

• Lithium May Protect Brain Areas Involved in Emotion and Memory

• Bipolar Disorder Raises the Risk of Dementia. But There Is Hope

• Lithium Plays a Crucial Role in Alzheimer’s Disease

Scientific Sources:

• Lithium effects in the frontolimbic circuitry: a systematic review of neuroimaging findings in bipolar disorder, Boere et al., 2026, Translational Psychiatry

FAQs

1. What is the frontolimbic network?
   A brain circuit responsible for regulating emotions, memory, and decision-making.
2. How does bipolar disorder affect this network?
   It is often associated with reduced volume and impaired functioning.
3. What does lithium do to this network?
   The study found it correlates with larger volumes and stronger connections in the network.
4. Does this study prove lithium repairs the brain?
   No, the study only shows an association, as most evidence was observational.
5. Where was this study published?
   In the journal Translational Psychiatry (2026)

Summary

A 2026 review of 115 studies by Boere et al. in Translational Psychiatry found that lithium treatment in bipolar disorder correlates with larger, more functional frontolimbic networks compared to untreated individuals. While these findings suggest lithium aids in stabilizing emotional regulation, the observational nature of the studies prevents establishing direct causation.FAQsWhat is the frontolimbic network? A brain circuit responsible for regulating emotions, memory, and decision-making.