06/17/2026
π Narrative Review: Lithium, a long-standing mood stabilizer, demonstrates convergent neuroprotective and neurotrophic effects relevant to and . Evidence across cellular, preclinical, human neuroimaging, and epidemiologic studies indicates that lithium upregulates anti-apoptotic proteins, boosts neurotrophic factors, inhibits tau-relevant kinase pathways, and stabilizes mitochondrial function. Low-dose lithium, which is below standard psychiatric dosing, preserves neuronal viability and gray matter, and cumulative exposure is associated with reduced dementia risk. Early clinical trials in mild cognitive impairment suggest favorable biomarker and cognitive outcomes, supporting prospective studies of low-dose lithium as a disease-modifying treatment.
This narrative review synthesizes more than 75 years of evidence to evaluate lithiumβs evolution from mood stabilizer to candidate neuroprotective