Patient/caregiver was instructed upon therapeutic uses and mechanism of action of Memantine as follows:
- Memantine is a medication reducing the activity of the neurotransmitter glutamic acid on NMDA receptors in the brain.
- Glutamic acid is one of the various other neurotransmitters in the brain, playing significant role in the functionality of memory and cognition.
- Glutamic acid produced in the brain binds to receptors called NMDA receptors. This binding of glutamic acid with the NMDA receptors lead to stimulation of these receptors, which promotes learning and memory.
- Persistent activation of these NMDA receptors by glutamate binding can progressively lead to increased activation and progressive destruction of nervous tissues in the brain, contributing to the symptoms of dementia and Alzheimer’s, such as, reduced cognition and progressive memory loss.
- Memantine is believed to bind to the NMDA receptors and inhibit their activity. Also, binding of Memantine to the NMDA receptors will render them unavailable to glutamic acid for binding.
- This will contribute to reduced activity of glutamic acid on NMDA receptors and helps with promoting memory and cognition. So, Memantine is used for the treatment of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
