Memantine Augmentation for Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in Bipolar Disorder: A Randomized, Double-Blind,...

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Neuroscience
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCS) are common in bipolar disorder (BD).
• Treating OCS in BD patients presents therapeutic challenges.
• This study investigated memantine for OCS in BD.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of memantine as an adjunctive therapy for OCS in BD patients.
• To assess the safety profile of memantine in this population.

Main Methods:

• A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial was conducted.
• 46 BD patients with OCS, stabilized on quetiapine and lithium, were enrolled.
• Participants received either memantine (n=23) or placebo (n=23) for 6 weeks.

Main Results:

• The memantine group showed a significant reduction in Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale scores compared to placebo.
• Effect size (Cohen's d) was 1.57 for memantine versus 0.42 for placebo (P < 0.001).
• Nausea was the most frequent side effect; overall adverse effects were minimal.

Conclusions:

• Memantine demonstrates safety and efficacy as an adjunctive treatment for OCS in BD.
• Further research is warranted to confirm these findings.