It has been concretely suggested that all the neural mechanisms that are hypothesized to explain various psychopharmacological treatments of bipolar illness involve functions that are critically controlled by calcium. Moreover, lithium's prophylactic action can also be almost completely accounted for by the calcium- dependent processes. Similarities exist between the actions of lithium and calcium antagonists like verapamil and nimodipine. Calcium antagonists have been found useful in this indication by a number of investigators.