Biological psychiatry
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Biological psychiatry · Oct 2008
Randomized Controlled TrialRandomized, placebo-controlled, crossover trial of memantine for cognitive changes with corticosteroid therapy.
In animal models, corticosteroids are associated with changes in hippocampal structure and functioning that are prevented by glutamate release inhibitors or N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists. Cushing's disease and prescription corticosteroid administration are also associated with memory impairment and hippocampal atrophy. Use of NMDA receptor antagonists to attenuate corticosteroid effects in humans has not been investigated. We examine the NMDA receptor antagonist memantine in patients receiving corticosteroids. ⋯ Memantine therapy was associated with improvement in declarative memory but not mood in patients receiving prescription corticosteroids.