Lithium increases the level of a neuroprotective
protein called bcl-2 in the rat hippocampus and
frontal cortex and inhibits glycogen synthase
kinase 3â (GSK-3), which is implicated in increasing
levels of phosphorylated tau176 and is thought
to be a factor leading to âA plaques and cell
death.177 There is also human evidence that lithium
increases N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) which protects
cells from dysfunction and death.178 An in vitro
study found lithium’s neuroprotection resulted
from inhibiting Ca2+ influx mediated by NMDA
receptors.179