AKT1 and bipolar disorder: In addition, lithium, antidepressants, antipsychotics and other mood stabilizers seem to increase phosphorylation of AKT.33, 34, 35 A decrease in AKT1 protein and mRNA levels was found in postmortem brain tissue and lymphocyte-derived cells of individuals with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, compared with healthy controls.35, 36, 37 Although these studies primarily suggest an AKT1 deficiency, a recent study14 found increased AKT1 expression levels in peripheral blood of antipsychotic-naive schizophrenia patients.