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Memantine for the Treatment of Behavioral Disturbance in Unspecified Major Neurocognitive Disorder

Peyton H Terry1, Kareem Seoudy1, Meredith S Lee1

  • 1Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences, University of Virginia Health System, Charlottesville, USA.

Cureus
|October 15, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Memantine effectively improved behavioral disturbances in an elderly patient with major neurocognitive disorder (NCD). Treatment led to reduced aggression and enhanced cognitive scores, suggesting potential therapeutic benefits.

Area of Science:

  • Geriatric Psychiatry
  • Neuropharmacology
  • Cognitive Neurology

Background:

  • Behavioral disturbances are common in major neurocognitive disorder (NCD).
  • Current treatments for NCD-related behavioral issues have limitations.
  • Memantine is an NMDA receptor antagonist approved for Alzheimer's disease.

Observation:

  • An elderly male patient with unspecified major NCD presented with severe behavioral disturbances, including aggression.
  • The patient exhibited disruptive and confrontational behaviors during hospitalization.
  • Memantine was initiated and gradually titrated to 10 mg twice daily.

Findings:

  • Memantine treatment resulted in marked clinical improvement of behavioral disturbances.
  • The patient showed a significant increase in Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) scores by five points after seven weeks.
  • The treatment was well-tolerated, with a favorable safety profile.

Implications:

  • Memantine may be a viable therapeutic option for managing behavioral disturbances in major NCD.
  • Further research is warranted to establish the efficacy and optimal use of memantine in this patient population.
  • This case highlights the potential of repurposed medications in addressing complex symptoms of neurocognitive disorders.
Keywords:
alzheimer’s dementiaalzheimer’s diseasebehavioral disturbancedementiageriatric psychiatrymajor neurocognitive disordermemantine

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