Effect of Lithium and Divalproex in Alzheimer's Disease

The overall objective of this study is to examine the acute effects of lithium alone and/or in combination with divalproex on surrogate measures of neuroprotective activity in patients with Alzheimer's disease. It is hypothesized that at safe and tolerable doses these drugs will inhibit glycogen synthase kinase-3 activity and reduce the phosphorylated tau epitopes threonine-181 and threonine-231 implicated in the pathogenesis of this disorder. In this proof-of-principle study, efficacy on reducing tau phosphorylated epitopes will be assessed through cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) measurements. Safety will be monitored by means of frequent clinical evaluations and laboratory tests.