A Clinical Study Evaluating the Effects of Memantine on Brain Atrophy in Patients With Alzheimer's Disease
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2009-04-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
Pre-clinical studies have demonstrated that memantine can decrease the neuronal toxicity
associated with excessive glutamate release and calcium overload in neurons. Previous studies
have shown that memantine helps to treat the symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease (AD). In AD, the
rate of brain tissue loss, or atrophy, is faster than in normal aging and this seems to go
hand in hand with some of the symptoms of the disease. This suggests that memantine treatment
in AD could provide both symptomatic improvement and neuro-protective effects. The purpose of
this study was to show whether memantine, in addition to providing symptomatic benefits, can
slow the rate of brain atrophy as assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology.