Memantine and Changes of Biological Markers and Brain PET Imaging in Alzheimer's Disease
Status:
Completed
Trial end date:
2010-10-01
Target enrollment:
Participant gender:
Summary
In AD, tau protein is abnormally hyperphosphorylated. Significant changes of
hyperphosphorylated tau levels in CSF are found in AD patients. It has been shown in vitro
that memantine can reverse abnormal hyperphosphorylation of tau in hippocampal neurons of
rats. A statistically significant reduction of CSF phosphorylated tau at a preliminary 1-year
follow-up was observed, from median 126 (interquartile range 107-153) to 108 (88-133) ng/l (p
= 0.018). No statistically significant differences of total tau or Aβ42 were found
(Gunnarsson MD, 2007).
FDG-PET has the unique ability to estimate the local cerebral metabolic rate of glucose
consumption, thus providing information on the distribution of neuronal death and synapse
dysfunction in AD in vivo (Herholz K. 2003). Synaptic dysfunction and loss induce a reduction
in neuronal energy demand that results in decreased glucose metabolism. Hypometabolism in AD
is thought to reflect loss of synaptic activity and density (Herholz K. 2003; Mielke R, et
al. 1998).
Another biological markers such as inflammatory factor and APOEε4 also play a part in the
onset of AD (Glodzik-Sobanska L, 2007).