Randomized controlled trial of memantine in dementia associated with Parkinson's disease.
The objective of this study is to investigate the safety and tolerability of memantine, a glutamatergic modulator, in patients suffering from dementia associated with Parkinson's disease (PDD), an increasingly common complication of PD. This was a 22-week trial of 25 participants with a DSM-IV diagnosis of PDD who were randomized to either placebo or 20 mg/day of memantine. Memantine was well tolerated by participants at 20 mg/day dosing. No participant was withdrawn due to memantine-related adverse events. Six weeks after drug withdrawal, a significantly greater proportion (P = 0.04) of memantine-treated participants deteriorated globally compared with those treated with placebo. These findings suggest that continued treatment with memantine may be needed to maintain global level of functioning over time. Based on the findings of this pilot study, memantine is safe and very well-tolerated in PDD.
Lancashire Care Trust, Royal Blackburn Hospital, Blackburn, United Kingdom. ileroi2002@yahoo.co.uk
Iracema
I
Leroi
Ross
R
Overshott
E Jane
EJ
Byrne
Emily
E
Daniel
Alistair
A
Burns
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003704:Dementia / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004341:Drug Evaluation; D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008559:Memantine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018691:Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; D008559:Memantine