Letter to the Editor

Successful Treatment of Parkinson Disease with Memantine

Authors: Joseph Martin Alisky, MD, PhD

Abstract

To the Editor:


Memantine, a noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate glutamate receptor inhibitor currently indicated for treatment of moderate Alzheimer disease, was originally developed for Parkinson disease and is still widely prescribed in Europe as an anti-Parkinsonian agent.1–3 Derived from the older drug amantadine, memantine dampens output from the subthalamic nucleus, potentiates dopamine release and attenuates degeneration of dopaminergic neurons.2–4 A case history presented here illustrates how memantine might have a productive therapeutic niche in the United States for Parkinson disease.

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References

1. Tariot PN, Farlow MR, Grossberg GT, et al. Memantine treatment in patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer disease already receiving donepezil: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA 2004;291:317–324.
 
2. Schneider E, Fischer PA, Clemens R, et al. Wirkungen oraler Memantin-Gaben auf die Parkinson-Symptomatik. Ergebnisse einer placebo-kontrollierten Multicenter-Studie [Effects of oral memantine administration on Parkinson symptoms: results of a placebo-controlled multicenter study] [Article in German]. Dtsch Med Wochenschr 1984;109:987–990.
 
3. Lange KW, Kornhuber J, Riederer P. Dopamine/glutamate interactions in Parkinson's disease. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 1997;21:393–400.
 
4. Skuza G, Rogoz Z, Quack G, et al. Memantine, amantadine, and L-deprenyl potentiate the action of L-dopa in monoamine-depleted rats. J Neural Transm Gen Sect 1994;98:57–67.
 
5. Thomson Micromedex. Available at: http://www.micromedex.com. Accessed March 30, 2007.