Researchers at Harvard Medical School reported Wednesday that the depletion of lithium in the brain appears to play a significant role in the development of Alzheimer's disease. The findings, published Wednesday in the journal Nature,

Lithium is a metal found in some foods, drinking water, and in trace amounts in our bodies. It has long been used to treat some psychiatric disorders. But its potential role in protection against brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease opens up new doors for developing medicines that may finally provide an effective tool for fighting this dreaded brain-robbing disease,

Seven years of investigation by scientists at Harvard Medical School has revealed that the loss of the metal lithium plays a powerful role in Alzheimer’s disease, a finding that could lead to earlier detection,