Lithium deficiency in the brain could be a cause of Alzheimer's disease —and a new potential target for treatment.

Ten years in the making, this is the finding of researchers at Harvard Medical School who have revealed how lithium plays an essential role in brain function and may provide resistance against brain aging and Alzheimer's.

Lithium is a chemical element, currently used as medicine to treat mood disorders like mania and bipolar disorder.

"Most people associate lithium with psychiatric treatment. Our study shows, for the first time, that naturally occurring lithium plays a crucial role in maintaining brain health during aging—even at concentrations far below those used in clinical psychiatry," study authors Bruce Yankner and Liviu Aron told Newsweek .

The findings are base

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