Research
Lithium and Alzheimer's – what has happened since the Nature study?
Article no. 9 · March 11, 2026 · Updated September 20, 2026 ·
A prominent study in Nature 2025 showed that low levels of lithium in the brain may be linked to the development of Alzheimer's disease. In animal experiments, very low doses of lithium could reduce disease-related changes in the brain and improve memory functions. The results have generated great international interest and led to discussions about new clinical studies in humans.
What did the Nature study show?
Researchers analyzed brain tissue from individuals with mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease and found that lithium was one of the trace elements significantly reduced in the brain.
In animal experiments where mice developed Alzheimer's-like changes, lithium supplementation could:
- reduce amyloid plaques
- reduce tau changes
- reduce inflammation in the brain
- improve memory functions
This occurred at very low doses, far below the levels used in psychiatric treatment.
Researchers also presented a new hypothesis: amyloid plaques can bind lithium in the brain, thereby creating a local deficiency in nerve cells. This deficiency, in turn, can contribute to several of the biological processes that drive the disease.
Ongoing and planned research