11/08/2025
Lithium deficiency may lead to Alzheimer’s disease
The scientists found that lithium loss in the human brain is one of the earliest changes leading to Alzheimer’s, while in mice, similar lithium depletion accelerated brain pathology and memory decline. The team further found that reduced lithium levels stemmed from binding to amyloid plaques and impaired uptake in the brain. In a final set of experiments, the team found that a novel lithium compound that avoids capture by amyloid plaques restored memory in mice.
The results unify decades-long observations in patients, providing a new theory of the disease and a new strategy for early diagnosis, prevention, and treatment.
The study raises hopes that researchers could one day use lithium to treat the disease in its entirety rather than focusing on a single facet such as amyloid beta or tau, the author said.
One of the main discoveries in the study is that as amyloid beta begins to form deposits in the early stages of dementia in both humans and mouse models, it binds to lithium, reducing lithium’s function in the brain. The lower lithium levels affect all major brain cell types and, in mice, give rise to changes recapitulating Alzheimer’s disease, including memory loss.
The authors identified a class of lithium compounds that can evade capture by amyloid beta. Treating mice with the most potent amyloid-evading compound, called lithium orotate, reversed Alzheimer’s disease pathology, prevented brain cell damage, and restored memory.
Although the findings need to be confirmed in humans through clinical trials, they suggest that measuring lithium levels could help screen for early Alzheimer’s. Moreover, the findings point to the importance of testing amyloid-evading lithium compounds for treatment or prevention.
https://sciencemission.com/Lithium-deficiency-and-Alzheimer%E2%80%99s-disease-9911