Chapter 13

The Roles of Inositol and its Phosphates in Neuropsychiatric Disorders

A.K.M. Shamsuddin and Guang-Yu Yang

Abstract

There are experimental data showing beneficial actions of inositol and inositol hexaphosphate (InsP<sub>6</sub>) in Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease. The different stereoisomers of inositol, myo-, epi-, scyllo- and chiro-inositol have shown efficacy in Alzheimer’s disease. The antioxidant and cation chelating properties of InsP<sub>6</sub> are considered to be some of the mechanisms; those of myo-inositol are not clear. Insofar as psychiatric diseases, lithium salts have been in use since the 1950s for bipolar disorder. While on one hand there is reduction of myo-inositol by lithium, myo-inositol on the other hand has been found useful in psychiatric disorders, and at least in one study of bipolar disorder. Thus, further studies of myo-inositol, and InsP<sub>6</sub> in the treatment of bipolar disorder are warranted. A clinical trial of InsP<sub>6</sub> in bipolar disorder is underway.

Total Pages: 164-175 (12)

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