A pilot clinical trial from the University of Pittsburgh suggests that low dose lithium could help slow verbal memory decline in older adults with mild cognitive impairment, a condition that can precede Alzheimer’s disease. Over two years, participants taking lithium showed a slower decline on a key verbal memory test than those given placebo. The study did not meet its main statistical goals, so the findings are not definitive. However, researchers said the results support a larger follow up trial, especially in people with biological signs linked to Alzheimer’s. The treatment was reported to be feasible, generally safe and well tolerated at low doses. The story adds to growing interest in whether an established psychiatric medicine could be repurposed as a lower cost option in early brain disease, although much more research is still needed before any clinical use in Alzheimer’s care could be considered.