Memantine and Comprehensive, Individualized Management of Alzheimer's Disease and Caregiver Training

Alzheimer's Disease Clinical Trial

Official title: Memantine and Comprehensive, Individualized, Patient Centered Management of Alzheimer's Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Status Active, not recruiting

Clinical Trial Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a comprehensive, individualized management approach with caregiver training and medication with memantine will alleviate symptoms in community dwelling patients with moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease.

Clinical Trial Description

Presently some 4.5 million people are afflicted with Alzheimer's disease in the United States. At present pharmacologic treatment, although beneficial, is not curative. Certain nonpharmacologic treatments have assisted caregivers of AD patients by reducing their stress and burden, and others have aided patients, by improving their mood and physical functioning. Comprehensive, individualized approaches to improving Alzheimer's patients' symptomatology and caregiver stress and burden have not been systematically investigated in Alzheimer's patient care. This study seeks to train and counsel caregivers as well as develop an individualized, comprehensive management program that will seek to enhance the functioning of each patient participant.

Patients are randomly placed into one of two groups. Both groups receive memantine and comprehensive evaluations at baseline, 4, 12,28 and 52 weeks. Additionally, group 1 receives an individualized management program, which consists of home visits to get the patient exercising, doing enjoyable activities and cognitive stimulation, educational sessions for caregivers on coping with difficult situations and a caregiver support group to help with questions and emotional concerns. ;

Study Design

Allocation: Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment, Masking: Single Blind (Outcomes Assessor)

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Alzheimer Disease
• Alzheimer's Disease

• NCT number: NCT00120874
• Study type: Interventional
• Source: New York University School of Medicine
• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Phase: Phase 4
• Start date: August 2006
• Completion date: February 2015