Research suggests lithium deficiency may be an overlooked factor contributing to Alzheimer’s disease, opening new possibilities for prevention and treatment.

A few limited clinical trials of lithium for Alzheimer’s disease have shown some efficacy, but the lithium compounds they used — such as the clinical standard, lithium carbonate — can be toxic to aging people at the high doses normally used in the clinic.

Seven years of investigation by scientists at Harvard Medical School has revealed that the loss of the metal lithium plays a powerful role in Alzheimer’s disease, a finding that could lead to earlier detection,