Harvard Medical School researchers have uncovered a significant association between lithium deficiency in specific brain regions and the onset of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This novel finding reveals that amyloid-beta plaques bind lithium, leading to depletion of the metal in brain tissues, exacerbating AD pathology. In murine models, treatment with an amyloid-evading lithium compound, lithium orotate, reversed disease pathology, improved memory, and prevented neuronal damage. These insights suggest lithium level measurement in patients could aid early diagnosis and introduce new treatment avenues for AD.