Evidence for alcohol anti-craving properties of memantine.
Rats consuming alcohol voluntarily for a long time show increased alcohol consumption after a phase of alcohol deprivation and this might reflect increased craving for alcohol. Administration of memantine (1-amino-3,5-dimethyl-adamantane), a clinically used uncompetitive NDMA receptor antagonist, resulted in a significant reduction of the alcohol deprivation effect without any sedative, dysphoric or stimulant side-effects. The dose of memantine used (4.8 mg/day) resulted in serum levels close to the therapeutic range in humans. These results indicate that memantine may have therapeutical potential as an anti-craving drug for alcohol.
Hölter
S M
SM
Max Planck Institute of Psychiatry, Drug Abuse Group, Munich, Germany.
Danysz
W
W
Spanagel
R
R
D000437:Alcoholism / Q000188:drug therapy*; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D002755:Choice Behavior / Q000187:drug effects*; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008559:Memantine / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*
D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D008559:Memantine