Memantine Treatment for Obsessive-compulsive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2008-01-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
The objective of this study was to obtain preliminary open-label data on the efficacy and
tolerability of memantine, an anti-glutamatergic medication with a unique pharmacodynamic
profile, in individuals with OCD and individuals with GAD. Because glutamatergic
hyperactivity in frontal and frontal-subcortical circuits may play a role in the symptomatic
expression of OCD, and possibly GAD, agents that reduce glutamatergic neurotransmission
should provide unique anti-stress and anti-obsessional benefits. Memantine is a specific,
uncompetitive antagonist at the NMDA receptor that blocks sustained activation of the NMDA
receptor by high concentrations of glutamate under pathological conditions but rapidly leaves
the NMDA channel upon transient physiological activation by low concentrations of glutamate.