Low‑dose Lithium and Verbal Memory in MCI

In a JAMA Neurology study, low-dose oral lithium was compared with placebo over two years in older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), with an exploratory signal suggesting slower decline on a sensitive verbal memory measure.

Adults aged 60 years and older with MCI were randomized to low-dose lithium or placebo and followed for two years. Participants were assessed annually with cognitive testing and underwent high-resolution brain imaging alongside biomarker assessments.

For cognition, there was a slower rate of decline over the study period on a sensitive verbal memory test among participants assigned to lithium. The hippocampus shrank over time in both groups, and the overall between-group difference did not reach statistical significance. Exploratory analyses suggested a larger signal among participants described as amyloid-beta positive

Low-dose lithium was safe and well tolerated in older adults when carefully monitored.