Research: Memantine: A Comprehensive Review of Safety and Efficacy

Authored by Kavirajan, H. in Expert Opinion, Volume 8, Issue 1, p. 89-109, (2009).

Article summary (posted Dec 21, 2009):

Memantine may be helpful for people with moderate-to-severe autism disorders.

The glutamate pathway may be out of balance in brains of people with autism. Memantine is a medication that reduces certain brain activities by blocking glutamate receptors in the brain. Two clinical trials of memantine in people with autism had different results. One trial reported that memantine was helpful for improving language and social interactions in people with pervasive developmental disorder-not otherwise specified (PDD-NOS). Another trial reported improvements in memory, irritability, and other behaviors for people with PDD. However, language was not affected in the second trial. Neither of these studies included a placebo control. Better studies are needed to find out if memantine may be helpful for people with autism.

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autism, balance, control, diet, drug, effectiveness, glutamate, irritability, language, medication, memory, Namenda (memantine hydrochloride), pervasive developmental disorder (PDD), Pervasive Developmental Disorder-Not Otherwise Specified (PDD-NOS), placebo, receptors, review article, safety, therapy, treatment
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