Memantine is effective for at least a year as continuing treatment for symptoms of moderate to severe Alzheimer disease, according to an article in the January issue of the Archives of Neurology.

“This study demonstrates that it is possible to alleviate some of the cognitive and functional losses associated with the later stages of Alzheimer’s, providing a basis for greater optimism on the part of caregivers,” said Barry Reisberg, MD, Professor of Psychiatry at NYU School of Medicine and lead investigator of the study.

“Our study verifies that this medication continues to be beneficial and is safe with remarkably few side effects,” added. Reisberg, who is also Clinical Director of the Silberstein Aging and Dementia Research Center at NYU School of Medicine.

Memantine was approved in October 2003 by the US Food and Drug Administration for treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer’s disease, based in part on results from a rigorous 28-week study of 252 people who were randomly chosen to receive the drug or placebo. The results, published in the New England Journal of Medicine in the spring of 2003, showed that the drug could slow the downward spiral of the disease. Reisberg was also the principal investigator of that study.

The current study evaluated the effects of the medication in the same patients for an additional 24 weeks in what is called an “open label extension.” All patients who received a placebo previously were given the drug. The study enrolled 175 patients, 80 of whom had initially received placebo. The remaining patients continued to receive memantine.

All patients were evaluated with a wide range of tests to assess cognitive and functional abilities, and behavior. Those who were switched from placebo to memantine showed a significantly slower rate of decline in a test of their ability to perform daily activities and in a test designed to measure cognition compared with the previous rate of decline. They also showed a significant benefit on a test designed to evaluate overall abilities and behavior that includes input from caregivers.

In the patients who continued to receive memantine, the benefits of the treatment appeared to be maintained.