TY - JOUR
T1 - The role of memantine in the treatment of major depressive disorder
T2 - Clinical efficacy and mechanisms of action
AU - Amidfar, Meysam
AU - Réus, Gislaine Z.
AU - Quevedo, Joao
AU - Kim, Yong Ku
N1 - Funding Information:
The Translational Psychiatry Program (USA) is funded by the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth).
Funding Information:
Translational Psychiatry Laboratory (Brazil) is one of the centers of the National Institute for Molecular Medicine (INCT-MM) and one of the members of the Center of Excellence in Applied Neurosciences of Santa Catarina (NENASC). Its research is supported by Grants from CNPq , FAPESC ; Instituto Cérebro e Mente and UNESC . JQ is a 1A CNPq Research Fellow.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2018 Elsevier B.V.
Copyright:
Copyright 2018 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2018/5/15
Y1 - 2018/5/15
N2 - A developing body of evidence indicates that disturbed glutamate neurotransmission especially through N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) is central to the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) and NMDA receptor antagonists have shown therapeutic potential in the MDD treatment. Memantine is an uncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist, approved for treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) that in contrast to other NMDA receptor antagonists at therapeutic doses does not induce highly undesirable side effects. Neuroprotective properties and well tolerability of memantine have been attributed to its unique pharmacological features such as moderate affinity, rapid blocking kinetics and strongly voltage-dependency. In this review we summarized clinical trial evidence of antidepressant effectiveness of memantine and its mechanisms of action. Available data indicate contradictory findings relating to clinical efficacy suggesting further research is necessary in determining as to whether memantine will eventually be an advantageous therapy for MDD. Preclinical data proposed various neurobiological mechanisms underlying antidepressant-like properties of memantine that are responsible for synaptic plasticity and cell survival.
AB - A developing body of evidence indicates that disturbed glutamate neurotransmission especially through N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) is central to the pathophysiology of major depressive disorder (MDD) and NMDA receptor antagonists have shown therapeutic potential in the MDD treatment. Memantine is an uncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist, approved for treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD) that in contrast to other NMDA receptor antagonists at therapeutic doses does not induce highly undesirable side effects. Neuroprotective properties and well tolerability of memantine have been attributed to its unique pharmacological features such as moderate affinity, rapid blocking kinetics and strongly voltage-dependency. In this review we summarized clinical trial evidence of antidepressant effectiveness of memantine and its mechanisms of action. Available data indicate contradictory findings relating to clinical efficacy suggesting further research is necessary in determining as to whether memantine will eventually be an advantageous therapy for MDD. Preclinical data proposed various neurobiological mechanisms underlying antidepressant-like properties of memantine that are responsible for synaptic plasticity and cell survival.
KW - Clinical efficacy
KW - Major depressive disorder
KW - Memantine
KW - NMDA receptor
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U2 - 10.1016/j.ejphar.2018.03.023
DO - 10.1016/j.ejphar.2018.03.023
M3 - Review article
C2 - 29551658
AN - SCOPUS:85044040751
VL - 827
SP - 103
EP - 111
JO - European Journal of Pharmacology
JF - European Journal of Pharmacology
SN - 0014-2999
ER -