Effects of Memantine on Alzheimer Disease Progression
Author Information
Author(s): R Schmidt, S Ropele, B Pendl, P Ofner, C Enzinger, H Schmidt, A Berghold, M Windisch, H Kolassa, F Fazekas
Primary Institution: Medical University of Graz
Hypothesis
To study the feasibility of multimodal neuroimaging in mild to moderate Alzheimer disease (AD) and to estimate the size of possible treatment effects of memantine on potential functional, structural and metabolic biomarkers of disease progression.
Conclusion
The study suggests that memantine may slow the decline in glucose metabolism and hippocampal atrophy in patients with moderate Alzheimer disease.
Supporting Evidence
- Global glucose metabolism decreased by 2.3% after 52 weeks.
- Patients receiving memantine showed less decline in glucose metabolism than those on placebo.
- Hippocampal volume loss was smaller in memantine-treated patients (2.4% vs 4.0%).
- Total brain volume loss was similar between groups.
Takeaway
This study looked at how a medicine called memantine affects the brains of people with Alzheimer's disease. It found that memantine might help keep the brain from getting worse.
Methodology
A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study with 36 patients receiving either memantine or placebo for 52 weeks, with evaluations at 26 and 52 weeks.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to the small sample size and the nature of a pilot study.
Limitations
The study was not powered to detect statistically significant results and had high variability in some imaging data due to patient motion.
Participant Demographics
Patients were over 50 years old with a diagnosis of probable Alzheimer disease, with a mean age of 76.2 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.01
Statistical Significance
p<0.01
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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