Lack of metal lithium in the body may be a major factor that contributes to the development of dementia in Alzherimer patients, revealing an innovative new study.
A decade -long research published in the magazine NatureFor the first time, it shows that the lithium naturally appears and maintains normal function of all its types of cells in the brain, preventing nerves from decomposition.
Researchers at Harvard Medical School have found that the loss of lithium in the human brain is one of the earliest changes that lead to Alzheimer’s disease, and mice has accelerated the lithium -depletion.
In some cases, decreased lithium levels have been detected due to impaired metal absorption and its connection to amyloid plates, which are known to have Alzheimer’s disease smoke pistol signs.
Researchers also showed that the new type of lithium compound – a lithium orotate – can prevent amyloid plaques and in memory of mice.
Top Row: In the Mouse Alzheimer’s disease model, lithium deficiency (right) dramatically increased amyloid beta sediment in the brain compared to mice with a lithium (left) lower row of physiological levels: the same is said about Alzheimer’s disease neurofibrilla protein protein for you. (Yankner Lab)
During the study, researchers used the method of chemical analysis of advanced type of mass spectroscopy to measure about 30 different brain metals and blood samples from different people, including cognitive healthy people, those who are at an early stage of dementia, and those with advanced Alzheimer.
The analysis revealed that lithium was the only metal with bright different groups, which also seemed to change in the earliest stages of memory loss.
“Lithium appears as other nutrients we get from the environment, such as iron and vitamin C,” said senior author Bruce Yankner.
“This is the first time someone has shown that a lithium has a natural level that is biologically meaningful without giving it as a medicine,” said Dr. Yankner.
Although lithium compounds have historically been used to treat various mental conditions such as bipolar disorder and major depression, they are given much higher concentration, which can even be toxic to the elderly.
Lithium deficiency cut myelin that covers neurons (right) compared to normal mice (left) (Yankner Lab)
Scientists now have found that the lithium orotate is effective thousands of this dose-to imitate the natural lithium level in the brain.
However, the latest data on lithium orotate needs to be confirmed by people in clinical trials.
Still, researchers suspect that measuring lithium level could help test people early Alzheimer’s disease.
The results are reviewing the theory of Alzheimer’s disease, which have nearly 400 million people worldwide, offering a new strategy for early diagnosis, prevention and treatment.
For decades, studies have shown that Alzheimer’s disease includes many cerebral abnormalities, including protein amyloid beta, protein tuber and cerebral protective protein rest.
However, these anomalies never at all did not explain the condition.
Lithium was the only metal that differed greatly among people with and without it, and without it, was often the predecessor of Alzheimer’s disease (Aron et al., “Lithium deficiency and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease, nature (2025)).
For example, it is unclear why some people with alzheimer’s disease in brain changes never go into dementia or cognitive decline.
Recent treatments designed to direct amyloid beta plates also do not seem to apply memory loss, but only modestly reduces the speed of cognitive decline.
Scientists now say that a lithium critical connection can be critical.
“The idea that lithium deficiency can be the cause of Alzheimer’s disease is new and offers a different therapeutic approach,” said dr. Yankner.
“You have to be careful about the extrapolation of mice models and you never know until you try the person’s control over the clinical trial … But so far the results are very gratifying,” he added.