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Postmortem memantine concentrations
Nichole Bynum1, Justin Poklis, Diana Garside
1Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
Abstract:
Postmortem fluid and tissue concentrations of memantine (Namenda), a drug recently approved for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease by the FDA, are reported in a suspicious death. In addition, memantine concentrations considered to be incidental findings in three other cases are included to aid in the interpretation in future toxicological investigations. Memantine was extracted from biological samples by a standard liquid-liquid basic drug method followed by analysis utilizing a gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer operated in SIM mode. Blood concentrations ranged from 0.03 to 1.8 mg/L, and the liver concentration was 6.1 mg/kg.
Insights
This study reports postmortem concentrations of memantine, a medication for Alzheimer's Disease, in biological samples. Findings aid future toxicological interpretations of memantine levels in suspicious deaths.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Toxicology
- Pharmacology
- Neuroscience
Background:
- Alzheimer's Disease (AD) treatment involves medications like memantine.
- Accurate postmortem toxicological analysis is crucial for legal and medical investigations.
- Establishing reference ranges for drugs in postmortem samples is essential.
Observation:
- Memantine concentrations were measured in postmortem fluid and tissue samples.
- Analysis involved liquid-liquid extraction and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS).
- Data from one suspicious death and three incidental findings were analyzed.
Findings:
- Blood memantine concentrations ranged from 0.03 to 1.8 mg/L.
- Liver memantine concentration was found to be 6.1 mg/kg.
- The study details the methodology for memantine detection in biological matrices.
Implications:
- Provides critical reference data for memantine in forensic toxicology.
- Aids in the interpretation of memantine levels in postmortem investigations.
- Supports accurate assessment in cases involving Alzheimer's Disease medication.
