Given the aforementioned glutamatergic hypothesis of AD, the rationale behind using NMDA-receptor antagonists is to reduce neuronal effects of abnormal glutamatergic neurotransmission to maintain or improve cognition.

Memantine is the first and only NMDA-receptor antagonist approved for the treatment of moderate to severe AD.

Memantine is the first of a new class of medications for AD with a mechanism of action distinct from currently available therapies.

Memantine blocks the damaging effects of abnormal glutamate activity while preserving physiological processes dependent on glutamate without causing serious side effects. (There is no evidence that memantine prevents or slows neurodegeneration in patients with Alzheimer’s disease.)