Memantine
Memantine is a particularly effective drug used to treat neuro-degenerative
diseases, especially Alzheimer's Disease. It is the first Alzheimer's drug
designed to treat the late stages of the illness and works in a different way
from other existing drugs.
An overabundance of glutamate, the brain's primary excitatory neurotransmitter,
can cause brain nerves to become over-stimulated, resulting in damage or death.
Memantine acts by blocking the action of glutamate at NMDA receptors, thereby
directly short-circuiting any overexcitation.
What does Memantine do?
Memantine appears to protect the brain's nerve cells against the effects of
abundant glutamate. When glutamate binds to NMDA receptors, calcium is able to
flow freely into the cell. Sustained elevation of glutamate thus leads to
chronic calcium overexposure, which causes cell degeneration. Memantine changes
the way brain cells communicate with each other, and alters the amount of
calcium in brain cells. Alzheimer's Disease is linked to an increased build up
of calcium. Therefore, Memantine may stop or slow its formation and hence,
potential damage to the brain.
What Does The Research on Memantine Say?
Although Memantine has been in use in Germany for nearly 10 years, it is only
recent clinical trials that have highlighted its beneficial uses in age-related
dementia. One clinical study, conducted using the double blind placebo
controlled method, concluded that Memantine is a safe drug and may be useful for
treating Alzheimer's disease, vascular and mixed dementia of all severities.
A French study conducted in 2002 determined that after 28-weeks of treatment,
321 geriatric patients exhibiting mild to moderate dementia showed consistently
improved cognition after using 20mg/day Memantine, with no deterioration in
functioning and behavior. Memantine was considered to be devoid of any
concerning side effects.
Barry Reisberg, a psychiatrist at the New York School of Medicine, noted that
Memantine appeared to slow the progressive loss of basic abilities like bathing
and dressing, by at least half. Reisberg's study involved 181 patients
displaying moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease at 32 medical centers across
the US. All the patients lived in the community and had trouble dressing,
bathing and going to the toilet.
Richard Harvey, director of research at the Alzheimer's Society, described the
effects of both the drug, and research studies, as a very important
contribution.
Memantine may also have beneficial effects for sufferers of Parkinson's disease.
One clinical study concluded that it may improve Parkinson's symptoms
independently of using dopaminergic drugs.
News just in: Reports that Memantine could be efficacious in
alleviating some intense pain conditions, particularly for painful neuropathy.
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