Polygenic risk scores of lithium response and treatment resistance in major depressive disorder

In this article, the authors describe an increased genetic load for lithium treatment response in patients who suffer treatment-resistant depression (TRD) when compared to depressive patients without TRD (they respond well to antidepressant pharmacological treatment). On the other hand, TRD and non-TRD patients did not show differences regarding the genetic load for antidepressant treatment response. Taken together, these results describe the existence of a genetic profile of lithium-sensitivity in TRD that could explain the efficacy of lithium to treat TRD.

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