The International Consortium of Lithium Genetics (ConLiGen): Achievements and Collaborations

Abstract

Lithium is an indispensable tool of modern psychiatry. Although it is well-known that response to lithium is a familial trait, available research on pharmacogenetics regarding lithium treatment has, in the past, produced few reproducible results. The Consortium of Lithium Genetics (ConLiGen) was initiated by Thomas G. Schulze and Francis J. McMahon in 2008 to overcome these limitations. To date, researchers from 39 countries have joined the consortium, making it a truly international effort. A hallmark of the consortium is the use of an 11-point lithium response rating scale defined by Martin Alda and colleagues. The pooling of genotype data from over 2,500 patients phenotyped with this standardized response scale, have led to initial successes, which form the basis for further research.

Keywords

• bipolar disorder
• medication
• collaboration, gwas
• response
• alda scale
• genomics