Authors' objectives: To summarise the current research evidence on memantine for Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia.

Authors' recommendations: - Clinical impact: Memantine is the first treatment being developed for patients suffering from moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease and for patients suffering from vascular dementia. This is a growing patient group, which consume a significant proportion of health and social service spending. - Service impact: There will be no training or service re-organisation required to use memantine as most patients with severe dementia are seen in specialist services, but some monitoring of effectiveness will be required. - Patient issues: there is likely to be some interest from patients, carers and patient groups. - Financial and overall NHS impact: Memantine represents an opening up of treatment to a new group of patients both in severity and aetiology. There are possible savings in the provision of institutional care where the long-term use of memantine may allow sufferers to stay in their own homes with support for longer.

Authors' methods: Overview

Project Status: Completed

Year Published: 2001

URL for published report: http://www.hsric.nihr.ac.uk/search

English language abstract: An English language summary is available

Publication Type: Not Assigned

Country: England, United Kingdom

Organisation Name: NIHR Horizon Scanning Centre

Contact Address: The NIHR Horizon Scanning Centre, Department of Public Health, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics, School of Health and Population Sciences, University of Birmingham, 90 Vincent Drive, Edgbaston, Birmingham, B15 2SP. United Kingdom. Tel: +44 121 414 7831, Fax: +44 121 2269

Contact Name: c.packer@bham.ac.uk

Contact Email: c.packer@bham.ac.uk

Copyright: National Horizon Scanning Centre