Can Lithium Protect the Aging Brain?

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Source: MedPage Today

Original: https://www.medpagetoday.com/neurology/dementia/120116...

Published: Mon, 02 Mar 2026 14:50:06 -0500

Daily lithium carbonate showed promise in the LATTICE pilot study in older adults with mild cognitive impairment.[1] However, the study did not meet the pre-specified significance threshold for any of the six co-primary outcomes compared.[1] Previous research has demonstrated lithium's neuroprotective effect on the brain.[1] A new study shows that the loss of endogenous lithium in the brain may be an early warning sign of Alzheimer's disease.[1] Depletion of endogenous cortical lithium by approximately 50 percent resulted in increased amyloid beta deposition, accumulation of phospho-tau protein, proinflammatory activation of microglia, loss of synapses, axons, and myelin, and accelerated cognitive decline.[1] These findings reveal the physiological effects of endogenous lithium in the brain and suggest that disruption of its homeostasis may be an early event in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease.[1] Lithium substitution with amyloid-avoiding salts is a potential approach to prevention and treatment.[1]