TY - JOUR T1 - Is lithium a neuroprotective agent? AU - Vo,Thuy M, AU - Perry,Paul, AU - Ellerby,Michael, AU - Bohnert,Kimberly, PY - 2015/2/20/entrez PY - 2015/2/20/pubmed PY - 2015/12/15/medline SP - 49 EP - 54 JF - Annals of clinical psychiatry : official journal of the American Academy of Clinical Psychiatrists JO - Ann Clin Psychiatry VL - 27 IS - 1 N2 - BACKGROUND: Lithium was the first clinically effective mood stabilizer marketed worldwide. However, the medical literature suggests that lithium may have an indication as a neuroprotective agent. METHODS: This review discusses the pharmacologic activity and potential effectiveness of lithium in the context of Alzheimer disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), the 2 most prominent neurodegenerative disorders in the United States. The toxicities of lithium, including lithium-induced extrapyramidal symptoms (LI-EPS) and cognitive impairments at therapeutic blood levels, are discussed. Cases that are thought to illustrate LI-EPS and cognitive impairments are critiqued. RESULTS: Animal studies have shown positive results regarding the neuroprotective and antioxidant properties of lithium. Human studies indicate a potential benefit of lithium for improving cognition. Ongoing replicative studies are attempting to confirm the effectiveness and efficacy of lithium for treating patients diagnosed with AD or PD. CONCLUSIONS: The available medical literature supports the conclusion that lithium should be considered as a research candidate medication for the treatment of neurologic diseases of dementias and PD. SN - 1547-3325 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/25696782/Is_lithium_a_neuroprotective_agent DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -