The Effect of Memantine on Brain Structure and Chemistry in Alzheimer's Disease Patients

The Effect of Memantine on Brain Structure and Chemistry in Alzheimer's Disease Patients: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, 52-Week Clinical Trial

The aim of the proposed study is to determine if the NMDA receptor antagonist memantine has a neuroprotective effect on magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRS) measures of brain NAA and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) volumetric measures of hippocampal volume. In secondary analyses, we will determine if measures of clinical stabilization produced by memantine in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) parallels stabilization of MRS measures of brain NAA and MRI volumetric measures of hippocampal volume.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Alzheimer Disease
• Intervention / Treatment: Drug: Memantine; Drug: Placebo pill

Detailed Description

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. Currently, there are more than 4 million individuals with dementia in the United States with at least 400,000 deaths annually. AD is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder, characterized neuropathologically by widespread neuronal loss, presence of neurofibrillary tangles, and deposits of beta amyloid in cerebral blood vessels and neuritic plaques. Since the medial-temporal lobes, hippocampus, and association cortex are significantly impacted it is not surprising that the primary symptom of AD is a decline in cognitive functioning that leads to marked impairment in daily functioning. In particular, memory impairments, visuospatial decline, language difficulties, and loss of executive function are central cognitive symptoms of this illness. Behavioral disturbances such as agitation and hallucinations often accompany disease progression. The illness lasts approximately 7 to 10 years, with patients requiring total care in the latter stages. Thus, AD places a tremendous emotional and economic burden on both patients and their caregivers. Beyond a cure, therapeutic approaches which would alleviate the symptoms or delay progression could be of substantial psychological and economic benefit. Recent placebo controlled clinical trials have shown memantine to be efficacious in the treatment of patients with moderate to severe AD.

The aim of the proposed study is to determine if the NMDA receptor antagonist memantine has a neuroprotective effect on magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRS) measures of brain NAA and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) volumetric measures of hippocampal volume. In secondary analyses, we will determine if measures of clinical stabilization produced by memantine in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) parallels stabilization of MRS measures of brain NAA and MRI volumetric measures of hippocampal volume.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 17
• Phase: Phase 3

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Palo Alto, California, United States, 94304
      • VA Palo Alto Health Care System

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 50 years to 95 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:1. Dementia criteria by DSM-IV.

2. 50-95 years of age inclusive.

3. MMSE at screen and baseline 7-28 inclusive.

4. Conversant in English.

5. Caregiver/study partner willing to participate, supervise the patient and be available for administration of study medication.

6. Able to ingest oral medication. Exclusion Criteria:1. History of clinically significant stroke without substantial recovery.

2. Neurological or medical conditions causing significant disability independent of dementia.

3. Parkinson's disease.

4. History in past two years of focal brain lesion, head injury with loss of consciousness or DSM-IV criteria for any major psychiatric disorder including psychosis, major depression, bipolar disorder, alcohol or substance abuse.

5. Dementia due to Korsakoff's syndrome or infectious diseases such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, herpes, encephalitis, or human immunodeficiency virus.

6. Sensory impairment that would prevent subject from participating in or cooperating with the protocol.

7. Significant clinical disorder or laboratory finding that renders the subject unsuitable for receiving an investigational drug including: clinically significant or unstable hematologic, hepatic, cardiovascular, pulmonary, gastrointestinal, endocrine, metabolic, renal, or other systemic disease or laboratory abnormality.

8. Clinical contraindication to the use of memantine (e.g., hypersensitivity).

9. History of seizure within past 5 years prior to screening.

10. Platelet count < 100,000/mm3.

11. History of claustrophobia

12. Presence of metallic implants such as pacemakers, surgical aneurysm clips, or known metal fragments embedded in the body

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Quadruple

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Memantine; 10mg Memantine	Drug: Memantine; 10mg Memantine; Other Names: Namenda
Placebo Comparator: Control; 10 mg Placebo pill	Drug: Placebo pill; 10mg placebo pill; Other Names: placebo

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
NAA/Cr Ratio	To determine if memantine has a neuroprotective effect on magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (MRS) measures of hippocampal n-acetyl aspartate (NAA) and magnetic resonance imaging volumetric measures (MRI) of hippocampal volume.	Baseline; Year 1

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Mean Change on the ADAS-Cog Score After 1 Year	Progression of cognitive functioning as measured by performance on the Alzheimer's Disease (AD) Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog). ADAS-cog is the most popular cognitive testing instrument used in clinical trials of nootropics, and measures disturbances of of memory, language, praxis, attention and other cognitive abilities which are often referred to as the core symptoms of AD. Responses are summed for an overall score which can range from 0-70. The greater the dysfunction, the higher the score. A typical score for a person without dementia is 5.	Baseline; Year 1

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Stanford University
• Collaborators: Forest Laboratories; Palo Alto Veterans Institute for Research
• Investigators: Study Director: J. Wesson Ashford Jr., MD, PhD, Stanford University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: May 1, 2005
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 1, 2009
• Study Completion (Actual): February 1, 2010

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 15, 2005
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 15, 2005
• First Posted (Estimate): November 17, 2005

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): April 7, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 23, 2017
• Last Verified: February 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Mental Disorders; Brain Diseases; Central Nervous System Diseases; Nervous System Diseases; Neurocognitive Disorders; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Dementia; Tauopathies; Alzheimer Disease; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Neurotransmitter Agents; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists; Excitatory Amino Acid Agents; Dopamine Agents; Antiparkinson Agents; Anti-Dyskinesia Agents; Memantine
• Other Study ID Numbers: 95722

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED