An Unexpected Alzheimer’s Candidate: Lithium
Long used for bipolar disorder, lithium is now being studied for its potential neuroprotective effects in Alzheimer’s disease.
Deborah Kan is an award-winning journalist and founder of Being Patient. In this “Thought of the Week” column each Friday, she highlights one of the key stories shaping the future of brain science.
Dear readers,
Most people know lithium as a treatment for bipolar disorder, a mood stabilizer that has been used for over a century. But scientists are now talking about lithium in the context of Alzheimer’s disease.
Beyond its psychiatric use, lithium may have neuroprotective properties. In animal studies, lithium has been shown to influence several of the same biological processes involved in Alzheimer’s, including reducing both amyloid plaque buildup and tau, and importantly improving the cellular “clean up” mechanism. But most animal studies don’t translate to human trials.
Past studies have also shown that lithium deficiency could play a role in Alzheimer’s. Researchers are now exploring whether very low doses of lithium might slow cognitive decline. It’s too early to answer the question of whether lithium works to prevent Alzheimer’s disease, but the preliminary results are encouraging enough to warrant more research.
As Being Patient reported this week, a new low-dose lithium trial is helping set the stage for an Alzheimer’s study: one that will be larger, more targeted, and better designed to understand who might benefit and when. You can read more about it here.
With hope,
Deborah Kan,
Being Patient Founder & Executive Editor
