Who can take part?
The trial is open to people:
with ALS who experienced their first symptoms 6 months to 3 years ago
taking riluzole but not already taking lithium
who are not using non-invasive ventilation
who do not have a PEG.
More detailed information on criteria for participation can be found in the research information sheet Lithium: Questions & Answers (236 kb) ![[pdf]](http://www.mndassociation.org/display_images/document_icons/pdf.gif)
. Recruitment for the trial will close on 31 March 2010.
Country-wide recruitment
Nine centres for the trial are still recruiting people with MND to take part. These are: King’s College Hospital (London), the National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery (London), Plymouth, Preston, Oxford, Birmingham, Salford, Newcastle and Liverpool. Participants will be on the trial for 18 months and would need to travel to the centre a total of 14 times during this period; this would include weekly visits for the first four weeks. Travel expenses can be covered.
Background information
Lithium carbonate has shown promise in the laboratory and in animal models of MND. Further to this, Italian researchers published apparently encouraging results in 2008 from a very small pilot trial of lithium in people with MND. The Italian researchers reported that the lithium significantly slowed the progression of MND. However, the methods used in this trial had significant weaknesses and therefore larger, more rigorous clinical trials were needed to determine whether lithium is beneficial in MND.
Research
