Alzheimer’s disease is one of the cruelest conditions a person can develop. And even with recent advances, there’s only so much that can be done once its symptoms emerge. Research out this week might highlight a critical and previously missed factor driving the disease, one that could even lead to new treatments.

Scientists at Harvard Medical School led the study, published Wednesday in Nature. By studying human brain samples and mice, they found evidence that our brains naturally contain the element lithium—and that its deficiency can help explain the damage caused by Alzheimer’s. The findings are well supported and may have uncovered an important aspect of the neurological disorder, an outside expert told Gizmodo.

The study researchers “have performed detailed and well-designed studi

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