Treatment of impaired cerebral function in psychogeriatric patients with memantine--results of a phase II...

Memantine was investigated in a phase II double-blind trial on 30 elderly patients by comparison with a placebo with the aid of several psychometric tests. It was found that vigilance, short-term memory, and concentration improve significantly under Memantine. It was also found that Memantine exerted a beneficial effect on psychiatric and neurological symptoms despite the presence of an organic psychosyndrome of many years' duration and multiple morbidity. The tolerance of the preparation was good in virtually all cases and a gradually increasing dosage is recommended. On the basis of these findings the authors assume that the therapeutic efficiency can be confirmed in a phase III trial.