Microdose lithium treatment stabilized cognitive impairment in patients with Alzheimer's disease.
A lower incidence of dementia in bipolar patients treated with lithium has been described. This metal inhibits the phosphorylation of glycogen-synthase-kinase 3-α and β, which are related to amyloid precursor protein processing and tau hyperphosphorylation in pathological conditions, respectively. Following the same rationale, a group just found that lithium has disease-modifying properties in amnestic mild cognitive impairment with potential clinical implications for the prevention of Alzheimer's Disease (AD) when a dose ranging from 150 to 600 mg is used. As lithium is highly toxic in regular doses, our group evaluated the effect of a microdose of 300 μg, administered once daily on AD patients for 15 months. In the evaluation phase, the treated group showed no decreased performance in the mini-mental state examination test, in opposition to the lower scores observed for the control group during the treatment, with significant differences starting three months after the beginning of the treatment, and increasing progressively. This data suggests the efficacy of a microdose lithium treatment in preventing cognitive loss, reinforcing its therapeutic potential to treat AD using very low doses.
Now this may not be new news on longecity, but I am wondering if anyone got the paper?
Specifically, what I want to know, if they are referring to 300ug of elemental lithium or lithium carbonate?
Many are supplementing with lithium orotate or aspartate, but those provide 5mg lithium, and even that can have a negative effect on the mind (sleepiness). So if they are referring to 300ug of elemental lithium, we would actually only have to take about 1/17th of a 5mg pill.
Now that's low cost brain protection.
Just for the fun, I calculated it: 100*5mg lithium aspartate cost 8pound on amazon.co.uk. So this would mean about 1 penny per 2 day dosage.
Edited by BioFreak, 03 January 2014 - 10:02 AM.
