Memantine for Treatment of Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Parkinson's Disease and Dementia

Dementia Clinical Trial

Official title: Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trial of Memantine for Treatment of Cognitive Impairment in Patients With Parkinson's Disease and Dementia

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this research is to evaluate the usefulness of memantine, compared to placebo (sugar pill), for the treatment of cognitive impairment in patients with idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia. Memantine is used as a safe and effective treatment for patients with Alzheimer's disease. Cognitive impairment includes concentration and memory difficulties. We will look at how well this medication helps your cognitive impairment, how well you tolerate this medication (including its effects on your motor symptoms of PD) your activities of daily living, your emotions, and any medical conditions you might have. We will interview a person you choose as your "informant".

Clinical Trial Description

This is a randomized, placebo-controlled, parallel, double-blind 24-week prospective study of memantine at the dosage range 5-20 mg/day in 20 outpatients with idiopathic PD and dementia secondary to PD. Using the dosage escalation regimen approved for Alzheimer disease, subjects will start memantine or comparable placebo at 5 mg daily and advance 5 mg/week to 20 mg /day by week 4, with dosing at 10 mg bid. Subjects will undergo 7 clinical visits over the 6-month trial (Screen, Baseline/Week 0, and Weeks 4, 8, 14, 20, and 24). The dosage can be titrated downward in increments of 5 mg to a minimum dose of 5 mg/day in the event memantine is not tolerated at the scheduled dosages. This broad dose range is being used because 1)a favorable cognitive response may be evident at lower doses of memantine than recommended for AD and 2)adverse effects could emerge when typical AD dosing recommendations are used, as has been observed when treating PD patients with cholinesterase inhibitors. Subjects will remain on a stable dose of memantine/placebo after Week 8, unless precluded by adverse events. Ten subjects will be assigned to each treatment group. Randomization will be stratified according to whether subjects are taking a concomitant cholinesterase inhibitor. This will enable secondary group comparisons of treatment groups. Results from this initial small study will be used to evaluate the appropriateness of devising a larger-scale multi-site study of memantine for treatment of dementia in PD.

The proposed assessment schedule was designed to represent use of memantine in general clinical practice and to minimize the burdens to caregivers and patients, who have impaired mobility as well as cognitive function. ;

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Double Blind (Subject, Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor), Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Cognition Disorders
• Cognitive Impairment
• Dementia
• Parkinson Disease
• Parkinson's Disease

• NCT number: NCT00294554
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: Johns Hopkins University
• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Start date: April 2005
• Completion date: December 2008