title: Effect of memantine on cue-induced alcohol craving in recovering alcohol-dependent patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Ethanol blocks N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) glutamate receptors. Increased NMDA receptor function may contribute to motivational disturbances that contribute to alcoholism. The authors assessed whether the NMDA receptor antagonist memantine reduces cue-induced alcohol craving and produces ethanol-like subjective effects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-eight alcohol-dependent inpatients participated in three daylong testing sessions in a randomized order under double-blind conditions. On each test day, subjects received 20 mg of memantine, 40 mg of memantine, or placebo, and subjective responses to treatment were assessed. The level of alcohol craving was assessed before and after exposure to an alcohol cue.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Memantine did not stimulate alcohol craving before exposure to an alcohol cue, and it attenuated alcohol cue-induced craving in a dose-related fashion. It produced dose-related ethanol-like effects without adverse cognitive or behavioral effects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These data support further exploration of whether well-tolerated NMDA receptor antagonists might have a role in the treatment of alcoholism.
authors.affiliation: Pavlov State Medical University, St. Petersburg, Russia.
authors.forename: Evgeny M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Krupitsky
authors.forename: Olga
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Neznanova
authors.forename: Dimitry
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Masalov
authors.forename: Andrey M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Burakov
authors.forename: Tatyana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Didenko
authors.forename: Tatyana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Romanova
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tsoy
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bespalov
authors.forename: Tatyana Y
authors.initials: TY
authors.lastname: Slavina
authors.forename: Alexander A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Grinenko
authors.forename: Ismene L
authors.initials: IL
authors.lastname: Petrakis
authors.forename: Brian
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Pittman
authors.forename: Ralitza
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gueorguieva
authors.forename: Edwin E
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Zvartau
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Krystal
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000437:Alcoholism / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000523:psychology*; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000523:psychology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D003463:Cues; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D000431:Ethanol / Q000494:pharmacology; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008559:Memantine / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014706:Verbal Learning / Q000187:drug effects
chemical_list: D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D000431:Ethanol; D008559:Memantine