Lithium and lecithin treatment in Alzheimer's disease: a pilot study.

Ten patients with presumed Alzheimer's disease were entered into a pilot study to evaluate the combined effects of lithium and lecithin on cognitive and behavioral parameters. The loss of patients from the study because of toxic effects of lithium was high (30%), and one patient was dropped because of an intervening illness. Of the six remaining patients who completed the study, only two showed behavioral improvement; none showed improvement on measures of cognitive functioning. The possible mechanisms of action are discussed.