From
HealthDay News:
A drug commonly prescribed for Alzheimer's disease,
memantine (Namenda), appears to be ineffective in treating the mild stage of the disease, a new study finds.
While some studies suggest the drug is effective in treating moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease, "in mild Alzheimer's disease there is a lack of evidence that it works," said lead researcher Dr. Lon S. Schneider, a professor of psychiatry, neurology and gerontology at the University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine.
Memantine is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease -- indicated in the U.S. by a score of 14 or less on a diagnostic test called the Mini-Mental State Examination -- but it is often prescribed off-label for use in patients with mild Alzheimer's disease.
The drug belongs to a class of drugs called NMDA receptor antagonists, which help reduce abnormal activity in the brain by binding to NMDA receptors on brain cells and blocking the activity of the neurotransmitter glutamine. At normal levels, glutamate aids in memory and learning, but if levels are too high, glutamate appears to overstimulate nerve cells, killing off key brain cells.
Memantine can help patients with severe Alzheimer's disease think more clearly and perform daily activities more easily, but, like other Alzheimer's drugs, it is not a cure and does not stop progression of the disease, the researchers say.
The report is published in the April 11 online edition of the Archives of Neurology.