New research on patients with bipolar disorder confirms the potential neuroprotective effects of lithium.

Steving Zung and colleagues recently published the results of their comparative study of the cognitive functioning of older (over 60 years) patients with bipolar disorder taking chronic lithium and not taking lithium. Lithium is the most commonly used drug used in the treatment of bipolar disorder.
Approximately half of the patients studied were taking lithium. Lithium users had less cognitive decline than nonusers.