ABSTRACT
Background: lithium carbonate salts are used in psychiatry for agitated states reduction and, above all, to prevent recurring manic and depressive episodes, as well as for the treatment of aggressive behavior. The pharmacological characteristics of lithium carbonate have not been fully studied. Recently, there has been an increasing interest in the wider use of Lithium carbonate, in particular, in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, and even in viral infections. Objective: to present an overview of the earliest and late foreign studies covering the biomedical and potential therapeutic aspects of lithium off-label use as follows for Alzheimer’s disease and viral infections. Material and methods: the keywords “lithium carbonate, neuroprotection, toxicity, Alzheimer’s disease, coronavirus infection” were used to search for scientific publications in the databases MEDLINE, PubMed, Scopus for the period 1970–2021. Conclusions: lithium carbonate can have significant effects on pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease, which may be a good prospect in the treatment of this currently incurable disorder. It is also important to note the antiviral properties of lithium carbonate. Lithium carbonate is able to mitigate the immune-in ammatory activation observed during episodes of bipolar disorder, including the normalization of cytokine levels. It is also important to note the antiviral capabilities of lithium carbonate. The most interesting is the direct impact of lithium carbonate on some members of the coronavirus family, which is especially important in connection with the real problems a global public health crisis associated with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. © 2022. Psychiatry (Moscow). All Rights Reserved.