(NewsNation) — Scientists at Harvard say they may have found a key cause of Alzheimer’s disease — too little lithium in the brain.
The new study shows that lithium, a natural chemical in our brains, protects memory. When lithium levels drop, brain damage starts and memory gets worse.
The team studied brain tissue from people with and without Alzheimer’s. They found healthy people had lots of lithium in their brains, but people with memory problems had much less.
To test this, researchers fed mice a diet low in lithium. The mice quickly developed brain problems similar to Alzheimer’s, including memory loss and brain damage.
But when scientists gave the mice lithium, their memory got better and brain damage was reversed, even in older mice with severe problems.
The researchers found that sticky brain proteins called amyloid plaques steal lithium from the brain. This starts a chain reaction that damages memory.
They discovered a special form of lithium called lithium orotate that can sneak past these sticky proteins. It worked at much lower doses than lithium pills used for other diseases.
Dr. Howard Weiner, a brain doctor not involved in the study, called the research “very exciting.” He told NewsNation previous attempts to use lithium for Alzheimer’s had mixed results, but this study explains why.
The discovery, published in Nature, could lead to simple blood tests to spot Alzheimer’s risk early. It might also lead to new treatments that actually reverse memory loss instead of just slowing it down.
About 7 million Americans have Alzheimer’s, and that number could double by 2060.
The researchers warn people should not take lithium on their own. More testing in humans is needed first. But they hope new treatments could be available in three to five years.