REVIEW article
Front. Behav. Neurosci.
Sec. Pathological Conditions
Lithium in Borderline Personality Disorder: Neuroplasticity, Anti-Inflammatory Action, and Therapeutic Potential
Vincent Salvatore Gallicchio 1
Leah Simon 2
Armena Jafarmadar 2
Priyanka Ramanathan 2
Christina Regine Owens-Charles 2
Stephanie Singer 2
Halford Warlick IV 2
1. Clemson University, Clemson, United States
2. Nova Southeastern University, Fort Lauderdale, United States
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Abstract
The use of lithium (Li) for borderline personality disorder (BPD) is limited as the result of a lack of robust clinical evidence with few clinical studies reported. Although a few studies provide supportive evidence for Li use in addressing certain symptoms such as anger management, impulsivity, and inducing self-harm. Therapies for BPD are psychosocial in nature and serve as the primary treatment for BPD. With that said, based on the prior clinical management of Li use in certain mental health conditions, justifies the investigation of Li to understand its potential role in the pharmacological management of BPD. The topic is the subject of this review.
Summary
Keywords
Anxiety, Boderline personality disorder, Lithium, Neurobiology, Therapy -
Received
16 September 2025
Accepted
18 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Gallicchio, Simon, Jafarmadar, Ramanathan, Owens-Charles, Singer and Warlick IV. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Vincent Salvatore Gallicchio
Disclaimer
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