A cheap and commonly used medication could offer hope to Alzheimer’s disease patients, claim researchers.
Lithium has long been prescribed on the NHS to treat bipolar disorder and some forms of depression.
Now research indicates it could also combat dementia, which affects 982,000 people in the UK and there is no cure nor preventative treatment.
Previous research has linked lithium deficiency to cognitive impairment. A study in the journal Nature found lower levels of lithium in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
In animal models, lithium deficiency has been shown to accelerate cognitive decline and build-up of plaque in the brain, both associated with Alzheimer’s.