Memantine: Reality and Potentiality

Memantine protects cultured neurons from excitotoxin-induced cell-death; it attenuated loss of cholinergic neurons in the CNS induced by injection of NMDA into the basal forebrain of rats. It has been shown that memantine induced production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a substance sh...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rita Moretti M.D., Paola Torre, Cristina Vilotti, Davide Manganaro, Luca Zanet, Rodolfo M. Antonello
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AboutScience Srl 2008-01-01
Series:Drug Target Insights
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.4137/DTI.S622
Description
Summary:Memantine protects cultured neurons from excitotoxin-induced cell-death; it attenuated loss of cholinergic neurons in the CNS induced by injection of NMDA into the basal forebrain of rats. It has been shown that memantine induced production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a substance shown to promote survival and differentiation of CNS neuron. Due to the preclinical effects of memantine owing to its anti-ischemic and anti-excitotoxic properties, recent clinical efficacy has been demonstrated in patients with advanced dementia of vascular origins. Therefore, it has been employed in different trials, in vascular dementia, showing a potential benefit and no unbearable side effects. Different studies underline the possible role of memantine in Parkinson Disease.
ISSN:1177-3928