Memantine decreases hippocampal glutamate levels: A magnetic resonance spectroscopy study

• Published in: Progress in neuro-psychopharmacology & biological psychiatry Vol. 32; no. 4; pp. 1005 - 1012
• Main Authors: Glodzik, Lidia, King, Kevin G., Gonen, Oded, Liu, Songtao, De Santi, Susan, de Leon, Mony J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier Inc 15.05.2008; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adult; Adult and adolescent clinical studies; Aged; Aging - metabolism; Alzheimer Disease - drug therapy; Alzheimer Disease - metabolism; Alzheimer's disease; Biological and medical sciences; Cognition Disorders - metabolism; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists - pharmacology; Excitatory Amino Acid Antagonists - therapeutic use; Excitotoxicity; Female; Glutamate; Glutamic Acid - metabolism; Hippocampus; Hippocampus - drug effects; Hippocampus - metabolism; Humans; Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Male; Medical sciences; Memantine; Memantine - pharmacology; Memantine - therapeutic use; Neurology; Neuropharmacology; Organic mental disorders. Neuropsychology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer; Psychoanaleptics: cns stimulant, antidepressant agent, nootropic agent, mood stabilizer..., (alzheimer disease); Psychology. Psychoanalysis. Psychiatry; Psychopathology. Psychiatry; Psychopharmacology; IE-T; AD; FOV; Glutamate; Cr; NAA; Magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Glu; 1H-MRS; MCI; Memantine; Excitotoxicity; CSF; GDS; NE-NT; NMDAr; NE-T; NY-NT; BCRS; Alzheimer's disease; Hippocampus; Nervous system diseases; Toxicity; Alzheimer disease; Central nervous system; Glutamate receptor; Antialzheimer agent; Antiparkinson agent; Encephalon; Cerebral disorder; Amantadine derivatives; Central nervous system disease; Excitatory aminoacid; Neurotransmitter; Degenerative disease; Antagonist; NMDA receptor
• ISSN: 0278-5846; 1878-4216
• DOI: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2008.01.016

Glutamate (Glu) is associated with excitotoxic cell damage. Memantine modulates the glutamate induced excitotoxicity in Alzheimer's disease (AD). No information is available as to the influence of memantine on in vivo brain glutamate levels. Hippocampal Glu levels were measured in cognitively impaired and normal individuals ( n = 10) before and after 6 months of memantine treatment, using three dimensional high spatial resolution (0.5 cm 3 voxels) proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy at 3 T. These measurements were also repeated in a non-treated cognitively normal group ( n = 6). Treatment with memantine decreased Glu/Cr (creatine) ratio in the left hippocampal region. Memantine reduced hippocampal glutamate levels, which may be consistent with its anti-excitotoxic property.