Abstract
The exploration of the lactate shuttle has led to the understanding that lactate is a metabolic fuel, including in the central nervous system. In addition to being an intercellular messenger, it also plays a role in gene expression. Bipolar disorder, specifically, exhibits features of a biphasic energy dysregulation. Cognitive impairment is observed even during remission periods. Mitochondrial dysfunction is a current and important area of research in the etiology of this neuroprogressive disorder. In our studies, we demonstrated a band-specific metabolic/oxidative coupling between electrophysiological brain dynamics, quantified by Entropy Doubling and Ruzsa Distance derived from EEG data and serum lactate levels in patients diagnosed with bipolar disorder. We suggest that band-specific metabolic coupling is different between patients with mania predominant polarity and those with depression predominant polarity. This article asks whether Ringer's lactate may be a mood stabilizer.