Lithium As a Treatment to Prevent Impairment of Cognition in Elders

Summary

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in adults 65 years and older. AD leads to a complete loss of memory and independent function, and presently there is no cure. Many studies suggest that lithium treatment may delay dementia onset or slow its progression. However, more research is needed to understand the extent of its anti-dementia properties if it will be deployed broadly in the general population. This study will examine whether lithium has anti-dementia properties in older adults who have mild cognitive impairment and are at risk of becoming demented.

Timeline

Start

2018-02-02

Primary completion

2024-08-06

Completion

2024-08-06

Publications

• Gildengers AG, Ibrahim TS, Anderson SJ, Emanuel JE, Santini T, Diaz JL, Lopresti BJ, Royse SK, Lopez OL, Zeng X, de Almeida B, Alkhateeb SK, Chu C, Karikari TK, Lee L, Weinstein AM, Butters MA. Low-Dose Lithium for Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA Neurol. 2026 Apr 1;83(4):310-319. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2026.0072.
• Gildengers AG, Ibrahim TS, Zeng X, Aizenstein HJ, Alkhateeb SK, Anderson SJ, Chu C, Diaz JL, Emanuel JE, Karikari TK, Li J, Lopez OL, Lopresti BJ, Royse SK, Sajewski AN, Santini T, Weinstein AM, Wu M, Butters MA. The LATTICE Study: Design of a pilot feasibility randomized controlled trial of lithium to delay cognitive decline in mild cognitive impairment. Alzheimers Dement (N Y). 2025 Jun 11;11(2):e70112. doi: 10.1002/trc2.70112. eCollection 2025 Apr-Jun.

Drugs

Indications