Clinical trial NCT03185208: Lithium As a Treatment to Prevent Impairment of Cognition in Elders
Official title: Evaluation of Brain and Cognitive Changes in Older Adults With MCI Taking Lithium to Prevent Alzheimer Type Dementia
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE4
Conditions: Mild Cognitive Impairment
Keywords: Lithium
Mild Cognitive Impairment
MCI
Dementia
Alzheimer
Alzheimer's Disease
Cognition
Memory
Thinking
Prevention
amyloid
imaging
MRI
PET
tau
plaques
tangles
Lead sponsor: University of Pittsburgh
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: National Institute on Aging (NIA)
First posted: 2017-06-14
Enrollment: 80
Sex: ALL
Minimum age (years): 60
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Intervention model description: Longitudinal, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled experimental trial
Primary purpose: PREVENTION

Brief summary: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in adults 65 years and older. AD leads to a complete loss of memory and independent function, and presently there is no cure. Many studies suggest that lithium treatment may delay dementia onset or slow its progression. However, more research is needed to understand the extent of its anti-dementia properties if it will be deployed broadly in the general population. This study will examine whether lithium has anti-dementia properties in older adults who have mild cognitive impairment and are at risk of becoming demented.

Detailed description: Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in adults 65 years and older. Unchecked, the disease will reach epidemic proportions in the United States and worldwide by 2050, and presently, there is no intervention that has shown a clear effect on AD progression. Over the past several years, there has been increasing interest in re-purposing the use of lithium for diseases involving neurodegeneration. Lithium treatment has been associated with neurogenesis in the hippocampus, up-regulation of important neurotrophic factors such as B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK-3) isoforms α and β. In particular, GSK-3α interacts with gamma-secretase playing a critical role in the conversion of amyloid precursor protein (APP) to amyloid-beta (Aβ); lithium has been shown to reduce Aβ production and memory deficits in AD transgenic mouse models. GSK-3β phosphorylates tau, a critical step in the formation of neurofibrillary tangles, and lithium has been shown to reduce tau phosphorylation in vivo and in vitro. That lithium may alter the AD trajectory is supported by numerous observational reports showing delay of dementia onset in those treated with it. However, the results of the few human lithium trials conducted have been mixed. Additional research is needed to determine whether lithium has a role as an anti-dementia agent. In contrast to previous studies, we will implement an Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) with a more integrative, comprehensive approach than done before involving state-of-the-art ultra-high field (7T) human Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), neurocognitive assessment, and blood- and Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF)- based biomarker measurement to investigate the role of lithium as an anti-dementia agent. The specific aim of this pilot-feasibility study is to examine the potential disease modifying properties of lithium in individuals with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in delaying conversion to dementia. The study will enroll and randomly assign 80 individuals 60 years and older with MCI to take lithium, titrated to a maximally tolerated blood level (0.5 to 0.8 meq/L), or placebo for two years to assess lithium's effects on preserving cognition and delaying conversion to dementia. Participants will receive annual neurocognitive assessment, blood- and CSF-based biomarker measurement, and 7T MRI of structural brain volumes (e.g., hippocampal, total cortical gray). At baseline, all subjects who are able will undergo Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging for Aβ. The following hypotheses will be tested: H1: a) Participants randomized to take lithium for two years, compared to placebo, will better maintain cognitive function, primarily in memory, which b) will be associated with changes in biomarkers (e.g., GSK-3β, BDNF). H2: a) Participants randomized to take lithium, compared to placebo, will have larger hippocampal volumes and lower total gray matter thinning, which b) will be associated with changes in biomarkers and c) better cognitive function, primarily in memory. The exploratory aim examines whether lithium is related to additional markers of enhanced brain integrity (e.g., lower level of microbleeds, higher white matter integrity, better network connectivity, or decreased CSF phospho tau levels).

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

1. 60 years or older
2. Diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Major psychiatric illness (mild psychiatric illness may be included)
2. Major neurologic illness (e.g., multiple sclerosis)
3. Contraindication to lithium (e.g., renal insufficiency)
4. Unable to complete neuropsychological testing due to non-remediable impairment (e.g., blindness)

Primary outcomes:
measure: California Verbal Learning Test II
timeFrame: At baseline and annually for 2 years
measure: Brief Visuospatial Memory Test - Revised
timeFrame: At baseline and annually for 2 years
measure: NIH Toolbox
timeFrame: At baseline and annually for 2 years
measure: Preclinical Alzheimer Cognitive Composite composed of Memory and other cognitive tests
timeFrame: At baseline and annually for 2 years
measure: GSK-3β activity
timeFrame: At baseline and annually for 2 years
measure: Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor
timeFrame: At baseline and annually for 2 years
measure: Change from baseline brain volume values over 2 years as measured by structural imaging (7T MRI)
timeFrame: At baseline and annually for 2 years
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Change from baseline brain integrity measures over 2 years as measured by structural imaging (7T MRI)
timeFrame: At baseline and annually for 2 years
measure: Change from baseline cerebrospinal phospho tau levels over 2 years
timeFrame: At baseline and annually for 2 years
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Pittsburgh
country: United States
facility: University of Pittsburgh Medical Center
state: Pennsylvania
Study officials:
affiliation: University of Pittsburgh
name: Ariel Gildengers, MD
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References: