Low doses of lithium may slow verbal memory decline from Alzheimer’s disease, according to a recent study conducted by the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The study, published in JAMA Neurology, found that a once-daily dose of lithium, averaging 195 mg, produced blood levels significantly lower than those typically pursued by psychiatrists but still generated a weak signal concerning the potential influence on memory performance.
This is a significant finding, as it suggests that low-dose lithium therapy could be a promising treatment for slowing the decline of memory and cognitive function in individuals diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, which is often identified before the onset of Alzheimer's disease. The study, named Lithium as Therapy for Prevention of Cognitive Impairment in Elderly Patients (LATTICE), was a randomized clinical trial conducted at one institution, with interim analyses every six months throughout the trial.
The study enrolled 80 participants, with 41 receiving lithium and 39 receiving placebo. Participants were required to be at least 60 years old with mild cognitive impairment and to function normally in their daily lives. The study defined six coprimary outcomes: three cognitive measures, two brain volume measures, and one blood biomarker. The delayed recall subtest of the California Verbal Learning Test Second Edition (CVLT-II) was used as the primary cognitive outcome measure for memory.
The study found that CVLT-II scores decreased in both the lithium and placebo groups between time point one and time point two. However, the decrease in the lithium group was less pronounced than in the placebo group. The placebo group had an average annual decline of 1.42 points, while the lithium group had an average decline of 0.73 points. The difference in annual decline was 0.69 points, which was considered statistically significant.
The study also found that the effect size was larger in amyloid-positive participants, suggesting that the treatment may be more effective in individuals with biological evidence of Alzheimer's disease pathology. However, the small sample sizes limit the conclusions that can be drawn from these analyses.
The study's findings are significant, as they suggest that low-dose lithium therapy could be a promising treatment for slowing the decline of memory and cognitive function in individuals diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. However, the study's authors caution that more research is needed to confirm the findings and to determine the optimal dosage and duration of treatment.
In my opinion, the study's findings are exciting and suggest that low-dose lithium therapy could be a promising treatment for slowing the decline of memory and cognitive function in individuals diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. However, the study's authors caution that more research is needed to confirm the findings and to determine the optimal dosage and duration of treatment. Personally, I think that the study's findings are a significant step forward in the search for a treatment for Alzheimer's disease and that more research is needed to determine the optimal dosage and duration of treatment.
