Memantine: Approved Indications and Evidence in Non‑Alzheimer Dementias

FDA‑Approved Indication

• The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approves memantine only for moderate‑to‑severe Alzheimer’s disease; it is not approved for frontotemporal dementia or other non‑Alzheimer dementias. [1] [2]

Evidence for Use in Vascular Dementia

• Moderate‑certainty evidence indicates that memantine may provide a small cognitive benefit (≈ 2.15 points improvement on the ADAS‑Cog) and a modest reduction in behavioral symptoms (≈ 0.47 points on the NOSGER scale) in patients with vascular dementia. This evidence is derived from clinical trials summarized in guideline‑type literature. 3

Alternative Pharmacologic Management for Behavioral Symptoms in Frontotemporal Dementia

• When behavioral disturbances in frontotemporal dementia require pharmacologic treatment, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are recommended as an evidence‑based alternative to memantine, based on guideline recommendations for managing agitation, disinhibition, and related symptoms. 3