A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of memantine in age-associated memory impairment (memantine in AAMI)

To determine the safety and efficacy of memantine in treating Age-Associated Memory Impairment (AAMI).

Sixty adults between 50-79 years of age meeting diagnostic requirements for AAMI were randomly assigned to either memantine (titrated to 20 mg) or a matched placebo and treated for 90 days. An extensive battery of computerized cognitive tests was administered at screening, baseline and, thereafter, at monthly intervals.

Study results suggest that the primary cognitive effects of memantine in this population are on attention and information processing speed, rather than on memory. There were no differences in adverse events between memantine and placebo.