Memantine for behavioral disturbances in frontotemporal dementia: a case series.
BACKGROUND
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) is one of the more common presenile dementias. Unlike Alzheimer disease, there are no approved medications to treat this debilitating condition.


OBJECTIVE
To report the response of memantine on the behavioral manifestations of FTD.


METHODS
Case series of 3 patients diagnosed with FTD and treated with memantine.


RESULTS
All 3 patients showed an improvement in total Neuropsychiatric Inventory score with specific improvements in the subscale scores of apathy, agitation, and anxiety. Memantine was well tolerated in all patients.


CONCLUSIONS
This small case series supports the notion that memantine may have a beneficial effect on the neuropsychiatric symptoms of FTD and should be further studied in a prospective clinical trial.
Swanberg
Margaret M
MM
Department of Neurology, Walter Reed Army Medical Center, Washington, DC 20307, USA. Margaret.Swanberg@us.army.mil
D001526:Behavioral Symptoms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D015259:Dopamine Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008559:Memantine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography
D015259:Dopamine Agents; D008559:Memantine