"Stardust for the Synapses: Exploring the Utility of Low-Dose Lithium in Brain Health"
Presenter: James M. Greenblatt, MD
Original Date: June 9, 2024
This lecture will shine a focused spotlight on the clinical applications of low-dose lithium, bridging research, concept, and clinical translation with a special focus on Alzheimer’s, suicide prevention, and mood instability/irritability. The talk will begin with a discussion of the evolutionary relationship linking humans and lithium, and the routes through which lithium traverses the food chain to influence human health today. The nuances of the lithium dose-response curve will also be elucidated, distinguishing “nutritional” from “pharmaceutical” dose ranges. Next, a deep dive into the research: what published, peer-reviewed studies from the last half-century reveal about lithium’s effects on mood, cognition, and brain function...as well as its efficacy as an anti-suicide agent.
Bio: A pioneer in the field of Functional, Nutritional, & Metabolic Psychiatry, dually board-certified Adult and Child & Adolescent psychiatrist Dr. James M. Greenblatt has been treating patients since 1988. After obtaining his medical degree and completing his psychiatry residency at George Washington University, Dr. Greenblatt completed a fellowship in Child & Adolescent psychiatry at Johns Hopkins Medical School. He is the Chief Medical Officer of Walden Behavioral Care in Waltham, MA, as well as a member of the clinical psychiatry faculty at the Tufts University School of Medicine and the Dartmouth College Geisel School of Medicine.
Dr. Greenblatt is the author of eight books, including the bestselling Finally Focused and the expert-acclaimed Answers to Anorexia (2021). His newest book, Functional & Integrative Medicine for Antidepressant Withdrawal, is available now.
A nationally and internationally recognized expert, author, and educator, Dr. Greenblatt is also the founder of Psychiatry Redefined – an online Continuing Medical Education platform dedicated to the advancement of evidence-based, personalized treatment models for mental illness.
NUNM is accredited by the North American Naturopathic Continuing Education Council (NANCEAC). This activity qualifies for 1.5 Pharmacology CEUs.