Is Memantine Effective for Dementia in Patients with Down Syndrome?

Down syndrome affects more than 5.8 million people worldwide and is one of the most frequent inherited causes of learning difficulties. Alzheimer disease pathology develops in all individuals with Down syndrome who are older than 40, although occurrence of a clinical dementia syndrome is less common. In small clinical trials of cholinesterase inhibitors in early Down syndrome, researchers have reported slowing or mild improvement in the rate of cognitive deterioration.

Now, investigators have conducted a manufacturer-funded, double-blind trial, randomizing 173 patients older than 40 with a Down syndrome diagnosis to receive memantine or placebo for 52 weeks. The primary outcomes were changes on the Down's Syndrome Attention, Memory, and Exec…