title: Open-label pilot study of memantine in the treatment of compulsive buying.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although compulsive buying (CB) is relatively common, pharmacotherapy research for CB is limited. Memantine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, appears to reduce glutamate excitability and improve impulsive behaviors, suggesting it may help individuals with CB.
  
  
  METHODS
  Nine patients (8 females) with CB were enrolled in a 10-week open-label treatment study of memantine (dose ranging from 10 to 30 mg/d). Participants were enrolled from December 2008 until May 2010. The primary outcome measure was change from baseline to study endpoint on the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale-Shopping Version (Y-BOCS-SV).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 9 participants, 8 (88.9%) completed the 10-week study. Y-BOCS-SV scores decreased from a mean of 22.0 ± 1.3 at baseline to 11.0 ± 5.3 at endpoint (P < .001). Hours spent shopping per week and money spent shopping both decreased significantly (P < .001). The mean effective dose of memantine was 23.4 ± 8.1 mg/d. Memantine treatment was associated with diminished impulsive buying and improvements on cognitive tasks of impulsivity. In addition, the medication was well-tolerated.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that pharmacologic manipulation of the glutamate system may target the impulsive behavior underlying CB. Placebo-controlled, double-blind studies are warranted in order to confirm these preliminary findings in a controlled design.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Minnesota, School of Medicine, Minneapolis, MN 55454, USA. grant045@umn.edu
authors.forename: Jon E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Grant
authors.forename: Brian L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Odlaug
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mooney
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Suck Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003192:Compulsive Behavior / Q000188:drug therapy; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008559:Memantine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008875:Middle Aged; D009771:Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder / Q000188:drug therapy*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011569:Psychiatric Status Rating Scales; D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D016194:Receptors, N-Methyl-D-Aspartate; D008559:Memantine