Lithium the magic ion: Restoring and preventing?

Lithium to Treat – Or Prevent – Dementia: A Short Discussion

“…Despite the aforementioned multifactorial apparent benefits, it was found to have no role in restoring cognitive function in established dementia [14]. Two randomized controlled trials in adults with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease did not observe a protective lithium effect [9,15], whereas another trial in participants with MCI but not yet manifest Alzheimer's disease found benefits in cognitive outcomes as well as biomarker outcomes [16].…”

Lithium: how low can you go?

“…These doses are converted to estimated quantities of ionic lithium, with a starting dose of 600 mg lithium carbonate containing 112.5 mg ionic lithium. There is some consensus that low dose lithium could be used to prevent as well as treat cognitive deterioration (Masson et al 2014). Our systematic review of 'sub-therapeutic' lithium effects on various neuropsychiatric outcomes not only identified a consistent effect in benefitting cognitive health in older adult populations, but also found putative (although inconsistent) benefits for depressive and manic symptoms: 2/5 studies of (bipolar and unipolar) depressed participants reported improvements after lithium augmentation; a further study reported benefits to depression (but not multiple sclerosis [MS] symptoms) in participants with MS. For mania, studies generally reported reduced efficacy compared to standard-dose lithium, but single studies reported no difference in remission rates between standard-and low-dose lithium, or compared to carbamazepine while two further studies reported no benefit over placebo or usual care.…”

When I use a word . . . . More medical magic

“…Among elements that have been described as “magic” for one reason or another are bismuth,13 gallium,14 lithium,15 magnesium,16 and palladium 17…”