LiO-AD: Lithium Orotate in Alzheimers Disease Feasibility, Biomarker Engagement, and Clinical Response

Lithium orotate (LiO) oral capsules, over-encapsulated to match placebo. Dosing uses a structured titration over 3 weeks followed by maintenance through week 9: Week 1: 240 mg/day Week 2: 480 mg/day Week 3: 720 mg/day (target dose), with option to down-titrate to 480 mg/day or 240 mg/day if side effects occur (note that 240mg LiO = \~10mg elemental Li) Key distinguishing features: Population: adults with biomarker-confirmed early Alzheimer's disease. Central nervous system target engagement assessed via change in CSF lithium from baseline to week 9, measured by lumbar puncture; serum lithium also collected for correlation. Feasibility and tolerability supported by caregiver adherence tools Safety monitoring at each visit with renal and thyroid laboratory assessments; The selected LiO dose (target 720 mg/day) reflects upper limit safely used as a supplement (30mg elemental Li). Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled design with identical schedules across arms.

Matched placebo oral capsules, over-encapsulated to be indistinguishable from lithium orotate in appearance, weight, packaging, labeling, and dosing instructions. The dosing schedule mirrors the active arm to maintain blinding: Week 1: one capsule daily (matching 240 mg/day schedule) Week 2: two capsules daily (matching 480 mg/day schedule) Week 3 through Week 9: three capsules daily (matching 720 mg/day target), with option to maintain a lower capsule count if down-titration is required to mirror tolerability adjustments in the active arm Key distinguishing and blinding-maintenance features: Randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled administration with identical visit schedules, counseling, adherence supports. Study staff, participants, caregivers, and outcome assessors remain blinded. Safety monitoring (including renal and thyroid labs) and adverse event assessments occur at the same frequency as the active arm without revealing assignment.