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Memantine, long considered to be a potential treatment for HIV-linked cognitive problems and other neurological complications, has been found not to be an effective treatment for AIDS-related dementia. However, data from the AIDS Clinical Trials Group (ACTG) study reported in the September issue of AIDS suggest that the drug may help prevent HIV damage to brain cells.
The phase II clinical trial randomized 140 patients with AIDS dementia to take either memantine (up to 40 mg a day) or placebo. Neuropsychological testing, conducted after 16 weeks, failed to find any significant improvements in either group. But the researchers also found that, using brain scans, memantine helped slow damage to brain cells, meaning that the drug may help protect against HIV-associated neuronal injury.
Memantine, approved by the FDA as Namenda in 2003, is available to treat Alzheimer’s disease. The ACTG researchers conclude that additional studies of memantine, as a possible dementia prevention and treatment option in people with HIV, should be conducted.
