Galantamine and Memantine Combination for Cognitive Impairments in Schizophrenia

Summary

Aim: To examine the efficacy of the combination of galantamine and memantine for the treatment of cognitive deficits in outpatients with schizophrenia. Hypothesis: A combination of galantamine and memantine will improve cognitive impairments in patients with schizophrenia. This is an open-label study to evaluate whether a six week course of galantamine ER and memantine XR is effective in improving the cognitive performance of patients with schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. The primary outcome measure will be the change in level of cognition as measured by the MATRICS Consensus Cognitive Battery (MCCB). The results of the MATRICS collaborative project recommended the need for standardized cognitive tests that better distinguish the different facets of cognitive dysfunction in schizophrenia. The MCCB will assess the following seven domains: attention/vigilance, reasoning and problem solving, processing speed, social cognition, verbal learning and memory, visual learning and memory, and working memory. The MCCB will be administered at baseline and at the end of the study. We will report total score and each domain score in the MCCB at baseline and six weeks.

Timeline

Start

2014-09

Primary completion

2016-07

Completion

2016-07

Publications

• Background Koola MM, Buchanan RW, Pillai A, Aitchison KJ, Weinberger DR, Aaronson ST, Dickerson FB. Potential role of the combination of galantamine and memantine to improve cognition in schizophrenia. Schizophr Res. 2014 Aug;157(1-3):84-9. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2014.04.037. Epub 2014 May 28.
• Background Koola MM. Kynurenine pathway and cognitive impairments in schizophrenia: Pharmacogenetics of galantamine and memantine. Schizophr Res Cogn. 2016 Jun;4:4-9. doi: 10.1016/j.scog.2016.02.001.
• Results Koola MM, Sklar J, Davis W, Nikiforuk A, Meissen JK, Sawant-Basak A, Aaronson ST, Kozak R. Kynurenine pathway in schizophrenia: Galantamine-memantine combination for cognitive impairments. Schizophr Res. 2018 Mar;193:459-460. doi: 10.1016/j.schres.2017.07.005. Epub 2017 Jul 11. No abstract available.

Drugs

Indications