Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 13, 2026
MRI-guided dmPFC-rTMS as a Treatment for Treatment-resistant Major Depressive Disorder
Published on: August 11, 2015
A double-blind, placebo-controlled study of memantine in the treatment of major depression
Carlos A Zarate1, Jaskaran B Singh, Jorge A Quiroz
1Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program, National Institute of Mental Health, Department of Human Health Services, Bethesda, MD, USA. zaratec@mail.nih.gov
Objective:
This study was designed to assess possible antidepressant effects of memantine, a selective N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist in humans.
Method:
In a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, 32 subjects with major depression were randomly assigned to receive memantine (5-20 mg/day) (N=16) or placebo (N=16) for 8 weeks. Primary efficacy was assessed by performance on the Montgomery-Asberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS).
Results:
The linear mixed models for total MADRS scores showed no treatment effect.
Conclusions:
In an 8-week trial, the low-to-moderate-affinity NMDA antagonist memantine in doses of 5-20 mg/day was not effective in the treatment of major depressive disorder.
