title: L-amphetamine improves memory in MS patients with objective memory impairment.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Memory impairment is prevalent in multiple sclerosis (MS), but no drugs are approved to treat these memory problems.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The objective of the study was to examine the effect of l-amphetamine versus placebo on auditory/verbal memory and visual/spatial memory in MS patients with and without baseline memory impairment.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a re-analysis of a previously published clinical trial in which MS patients were randomly assigned to treatment (30 mg l-amphetamine, N = 99) or placebo (N = 37) in a four-week, double-blind, parallel-group, dose titration trial. Auditory/verbal memory (CVLT-II: Long Delay Free Recall) and visual/spatial memory (BVMT-R: Delayed Recall) were assessed at baseline and follow-up across subgroups of patients with intact baseline memory (mean = 50th percentile) or impaired baseline memory (mean = 2nd percentile). Primary analyses: 2 (l-amphetamine, placebo) × 2 (baseline, follow-up), × 2 (baseline memory intact, baseline memory impaired) ANOVAs performed separately for auditory/verbal and visual/spatial memory.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For both auditory/verbal and visual/spatial memory, we observed significant 2 × 2 × 2 interactions whereby l-amphetamine improved memory more than placebo, and this effect was specific to patients with baseline memory impairment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among memory-impaired patients, memory improved about 48.5% for those on l-amphetamine, but only 1.0% on placebo. Treatment with l-amphetamine produced large memory gains among memory-impaired MS patients.
authors.affiliation: Kessler Foundation Research Center, West Orange, NJ 07052, USA. jsumowski@kesslerfoundation.org
authors.forename: James F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Sumowski
authors.forename: Nancy
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Chiaravalloti
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Erlanger
authors.forename: Tanya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kaushik
authors.forename: Ralph H B
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Benedict
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: DeLuca
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000661:Amphetamine / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009103:Multiple Sclerosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000661:Amphetamine