Memantine Versus Donepezil in Early Stages of Alzheimer's Disease

• Status: Completed
• Trial end date: 2008-12-01
• Target enrollment: 0
• Participant gender: All

Summary

It is well known that in the brain of the patients with Alzheimer's disease there is a glutamatergic hyperstimulation leading to neuronal death. Memantine is a low affinity antagonist of NMDA glutamate receptors. The use of this drug in the early phases of the disease could provide neuroprotective effects and delay of progression. The effects of memantine should be compared to those of donepezil, which is the most prescribed anticholinesterase drug.

• Phase: Phase 4
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers?: No

Details

• Lead Sponsor: Hospital Miguel Servet
• Collaborators: Clinica Quiron de Zaragoza; Hospital de Barbastro; Hospital Royo Villanova; Universidad de Zaragoza
• Treatments: Donepezil; Memantine

Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

• Clinical criteria of probable Alzheimer's disease in the stages mild-to-moderate with a Mini-Mental score higher than 15 points.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous treatment with anticholinesterase drugs or memantine.

• Advanced stages of the disease

• Lack of a reliable caregiver.

• Dementias other than Alzheimer's disease