Treatment With Namenda in Women at Risk for Cognitive Decline
Condition: Dementia
MeSH terms: Dementia
Study type: Interventional

Summary: 
      This research aims to explore the effectiveness of memantine (Namenda) in treating
      post-menopausal women between the ages of 50 and 65, who are at risk for cognitive decline.
      Memantine has already been shown to offer cognitive benefits to patients suffering from
      Alzheimer's disease, but it's potential for treating those at risk for cognitive decline
      without Alzheimer's disease or other dementia has yet to be evaluated. It is possible that
      memantine may offer neurocognitive benefits to this population, as well. Participants are
      asked to take medication for six months, complete neuropsychological testing, and one blood
      draw.
    

Detailed description: 
      Memantine is a well-tolerated moderate-affinity, uncompetitive, voltage-dependent NMDA
      receptor antagonist that is shown to improve cognition and behavior in mild to moderate and
      moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease (AD). More recent, albeit limited, evidence also shows
      benefits of memantine treatment in a host of other disorders such as vascular dementia,
      pervasive developmental disorders, depression and frontal temporal dementia case studies.
      However, no studies to date have sought to determine if memantine has potential as a primary
      prevention for AD.

      Incidence rates of AD are expected to more than double from 1995 to the year 2050 as baby
      boomers age and it is predicted that this substantial increase will create a devastating
      global burden. At present, there are no treatments that prevent or 'cure' AD; however,
      treatments that delay the onset of dementia could provide significant reductions in incident
      rates. Epidemiological studies estimate that an increase in cognitive reserve of only 5%
      would substantially reduce the incidence rate of AD by one-third; therefore, interventions
      that precede the manifestation of AD would be most beneficial.

      Over the past several years, research on dementia focused on determining the factors that
      were involved in the progression from mild cognitive impairment to dementia. Clearly, when
      interventions can be introduced before any cognitive decline is evident the better the chance
      of reducing incidence dementia. Few studies have investigated risk factors for AD other than
      genetic vulnerability and primary prevention studies are essentially non-existent. Known and
      putative risk factors for AD include being a carrier of an apolipoprotein E-epsilon 4
      (apoE-ɛ4) allele, particularly for late-onset AD, family history of AD, history of
      depression, hypothyroidism, and diabetes. This study was a prospective open-label, 6-month
      pilot medication trial to determine potential salutary effects of memantine on cognition in
      women at risk of AD. The study design included built-in control for the genetic risk factor
      for AD (apoE-ɛ4 status). In addition, this study sought to determine whether memantine
      administration could provide any cognitive benefits to a population of normal postmenopausal
      women with at least one other putative risk factor for AD.
    

Intervention name(s): Namenda
Intervention type(s): Drug
Intervention description(s): Namenda has already been shown to offer cognitive benefits to patients suffering from Alzheimer's disease, but it's potential for treating those at risk for cognitive decline without Alzheimer's disease or other dementia has yet to be evaluated. It is possible that memantine may offer neurocognitive benefits to this population, as well. Participants are asked to take medication for six months, complete neuropsychological testing, and one blood draw.
Other intervention name(s): Memantine
Intervention MeSH terms: Memantine
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention model: Single Group Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment