A study in mice and samples of human tissue has found lithium to be essential for normal brain function, and suggested that a loss of the trace metal could contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease- offering a different treatment approach, researchers stated.
The study highlights that a trace amount of lithium in the environment, including drinking water, could act as a nutrient, similar to iron and vitamin C, and help reduce the risk of dementia.
Metals in trace amounts- ‘trace metals’- such as iron, zinc and copper are known to be crucial for healthy brain function.
The researchers from Harvard Medical School and other institutes in the US said the study is the first to show the natural occurrence of lithium in the brain and its role in preserving the normal function of all major brain cell types, protecting the organ from neurodegeneration associated with ageing.
The team performed experiments in mice and analysed samples of human brain tissue and blood taken from people in varied stages of cognitive health. Findings from the decade-long study, show that lowered levels of lithium in the human brain are one of the earliest changes leading to Alzheimer’s, and that a similar depletion in mice advanced the disease, including memory decline.
The team also found that reduced amounts of lithium in the brain were a result of clumping of beta-amyloid plaques- beta-amyloid proteins are essential for the brain’s normal function, but in Alzheimer’s disease are known to abnormally accumulate. The team established a range (in nanograms per millilitre of water) that constitutes normal levels, demonstrating the essential role of lithium in brain physiology. (PTI)
