LATTICE Study

STUDY BASICS

Do you have trouble with your memory or concentration? Are you age 60 or older? If so, you may be able to participate in a research study to find out if the medication lithium can prevent or slow down memory loss. Compensation is provided.

STUDY PURPOSE

Many older adults experience some degree of memory loss and difficulty concentrating, but there are currently no approved treatments for mild cognitive changes. The purpose of this study is to help researchers find out if lithium, an FDA-approved drug typically used for bipolar disorder, could slow down mental decline. Researchers hope their findings may lead to better ways to treat or prevent mental decline in older adults.

COULD THIS STUDY BE RIGHT FOR YOU?

• Age 60 and up
• Have trouble with thinking or memory
• Can safely take lithium
• No major psychiatric illness
• No neurologic illness, such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson’s disease
• Willing and able to undergo MRI scanning

WHAT PARTICIPANTS CAN EXPECT

Participation involves multiple visits over the course of two years. Participants will complete questionnaires, have memory and thinking tests, provide blood samples, and have MRI and PET scans of the brain. It is important to know that participants will be randomly assigned (like the flip of a coin) to receive either lithium or placebo. The placebo looks and tastes like lithium, but does not contain any active drug.