Psychiatry Investig.
2021 Mar;18(3):233-240. 10.30773/pi.2020.0329.
The Behavioral Effects of Combination Therapy of Memantine and Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors Compared with Acetylcholinesterase Inhibitors Alone in Patients with Moderate Alzheimer’s Dementia: A Double-Blind Randomized Placebo-Controlled Trial
- Affiliations
-
- 1Department of Psychiatry, Soonchunhyang University Bucheon Hospital, Bucheon, Republic of Korea
- 2Department of Psychiatry, Ilsanpaik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Goyang, Republic of Korea
- 3Department of Psychiatry, Gil Medical Center, Gachon University College of Medicine, Incheon, Republic of Korea
- 4Department of Psychiatry, Yongin Severance Hospital, Yonsei University College of Medicine, Yongin, Republic of Korea
- 5Department of Psychiatry, Kangdong Sacred Heart Hospital, Hallym University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- 6Department of Psychiatry, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- KMID: 2514356
- DOI: http://doi.org/10.30773/pi.2020.0329
Abstract
Objective
This study aimed to investigate treatment effects of combination therapy of memantine and acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (AchEIs) compared with AchEIs alone on behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSD) in patients with moderate Alzheimer’s dementia (AD).
Methods
This was a 12-week, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial. A total of 148 patients with moderate AD participated in this study. Mini-Mental State Examination, Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), Clinician’s Interview-Based Impression of Change plus caregiver input, Gottfries–Bråne–Steen Scale, and Zarit Burden Interview were used as assessment scales.
Results
There were no significant differences in age, sex, or education between AChEIs alone and combination groups. The combination group showed significantly more improvement of NPI-disinhibition score (0.76±2.15) than the AChEIs alone group (-0.14±1.71) after 12 weeks.
Conclusion
Our findings suggest that the combination therapy of memantine and AchEIs might be a beneficial option for reducing disinhibition symptoms of patients with moderate AD compared with AchEIs alone. We believe that clinicians need to consider additional memantine treatment when patients with moderate AD complain disinhibition symptom. A larger clinical trial is needed to further determine the efficacy and advantages of such combination therapy of memantine and AchEIs for treating BPSD of patients with moderate AD.
