Quality of life and the effect of memantine in dementia with lewy bodies and Parkinson's disease dementia

Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord. 2011;32(4):227-34. doi: 10.1159/000334523. Epub 2011 Nov 25.

Abstract

Aim: To investigate quality of life (QOL) and the effect of memantine treatment in patients with Lewy body dementias.

Methods: A secondary analysis of a randomized controlled study in 70 patients with Parkinson's disease dementia (PDD) or dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) over 24 weeks using caregiver-rated QOL-Alzheimer's disease (AD) in domains according to the WHO's classification of health.

Results: Baseline QOL shows lower ratings for body functions over environmental factors in DLB/PDD. Treatment with memantine significantly improves life as a whole compared to placebo and improves total QOL, body function and structure.

Conclusion: This study shows that memantine improves QOL in Lewy body dementias. We also demonstrate important QOL patterns which can be used in clinical practice.

Publication types

  • Multicenter Study
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antiparkinson Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Antipsychotic Agents / administration & dosage
  • Antipsychotic Agents / therapeutic use
  • Dementia / drug therapy*
  • Dementia / etiology
  • Dementia / psychology*
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
  • Double-Blind Method
  • Factor Analysis, Statistical
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Levodopa / administration & dosage
  • Levodopa / therapeutic use
  • Lewy Body Disease / drug therapy*
  • Lewy Body Disease / psychology*
  • Male
  • Memantine / therapeutic use*
  • Neuropsychological Tests
  • Parkinson Disease / complications
  • Parkinson Disease / drug therapy*
  • Parkinson Disease / psychology
  • Quality of Life*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antiparkinson Agents
  • Antipsychotic Agents
  • Levodopa
  • Memantine