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Memantine as an augmentation therapy for anxiety disorders
Thomas L Schwartz1, Umar A Siddiqui, Shafi Raza
1Department of Psychiatry, SUNY Upstate Medical University, 750 E. Adams Street, Syracuse, NY 13210, USA.
Case Reports in Psychiatry
|September 1, 2012
Summary
Memantine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, shows promise in reducing anxiety symptoms and improving sleep quality when used as an add-on therapy for patients with treatment-resistant anxiety.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Glutamate, a key excitatory neurotransmitter in the central nervous system (CNS), is implicated in anxiety disorders.
- N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, which are modulated by glutamate, are potential targets for anxiety treatment.
Observation:
- This study investigated memantine, an NMDA receptor antagonist, as an augmentation therapy for anxiety.
- Fifteen patients with partially responsive anxiety were treated with memantine (5-20 mg/day) for 10 weeks.
Findings:
- Adjunctive memantine significantly reduced anxiety symptoms compared to baseline.
- Forty percent of patients achieved remission (defined as HAM-A score ≤ 7).
- Memantine treatment also led to improvements in sleep quality.
Implications:
- Memantine may represent a novel therapeutic option for treatment-resistant anxiety.
- Further research is warranted to confirm efficacy and optimal dosing in larger patient cohorts.
- Understanding the role of NMDA receptors in anxiety may open new avenues for pharmacological interventions.
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