Memantine's Effects on Dopamine and Clinical Implications

Clinical Benefits and Mechanisms

• The American College of Physicians and other guideline societies suggest that memantine provides small but consistent clinical benefits across multiple domains, including cognitive function, clinical global rating, activities of daily living, and behavior/mood, with a moderate strength of evidence 1
• Memantine is well-tolerated as monotherapy or in combination with cholinesterase inhibitors, according to the American Geriatrics Society, with a high strength of evidence 2
• The American Academy of Neurology notes that memantine demonstrates a protective effect against agitation, with a moderate strength of evidence, resulting in 25 fewer people per 1000 experiencing agitation as an adverse event 3