Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23657927›Full record

ReviewNeurotoxicity research2013

Memantine and cholinesterase inhibitors: complementary mechanisms in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.

Chris G Parsons, Wojciech Danysz, Andrzej Dekundy, Irena Pulte

Open access · hybridAbstract readReview
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Neurotoxicity research, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 142 papers, 7 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
142citing papers in PubMed, 7 pooled it
24.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

142 citing papers in PubMed, 7 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 321 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
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  6. Cognition enhancing effect of rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) in lab animal studies: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Brazilian journal of medical and biological research = Revista brasileira de pesquisas medicas e biologica · 2022
    Pooled it
  7. Pooled it
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Investigation of the Potential Neuroprotective Mechanisms ofInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Article
  11. Review
  12. Limitations of Current Therapies and Barriers in Alzheimer's Disease.Archives of internal medicine research · 2026
    Article
  13. Review
  14. Review
  15. Amyloid Alpha: The Neglected Cousin of Amyloid Beta.Chembiochem : a European journal of chemical biology · 2026
    Review
  16. Review
  17. Article
  18. Article
  19. Article
  20. Review

82 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Chris G ParsonsIn Vitro Pharmacology, Merz Pharmaceuticals GmbH, Eckenheimer Landstrasse 100, 60318, Frankfurt, Germany. christopher.parsons@merz.de
Wojciech Danysz
Andrzej Dekundy
Irena Pulte
MerLion Pharma (Germany) · DE

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This review describes the preclinical mechanisms that may underlie the increased therapeutic benefit of combination therapy-with the N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonist, memantine, and an acetylcholinesterase inhibitor (AChEI)-for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Memantine, and the AChEIs target two different aspects of AD pathology. Both drug types have shown significant efficacy as monotherapies for the treatment of AD. Furthermore, clinical observations indicate that their complementary mechanisms offer superior benefit as combination therapy. Based on the available literature, the authors have considered the preclinical mechanisms that could underlie such a combined approach. Memantine addresses dysfunction in glutamatergic transmission, while the AChEIs serve to increase pathologically lowered levels of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. In addition, preclinical studies have shown that memantine has neuroprotective effects, acting to prevent glutamatergic over-stimulation and the resulting neurotoxicity. Interrelations between the glutamatergic and cholinergic pathways in regions of the brain that control learning and memory mean that combination treatment has the potential for a complex influence on disease pathology. Moreover, studies in animal models have shown that the combined use of memantine and the AChEIs can produce greater improvements in measures of memory than either treatment alone. As an effective approach in the clinical setting, combination therapy with memantine and an AChEI has been a welcome advance for the treatment of patients with AD. Preclinical data have shown how these drugs act via two different, but interconnected, pathological pathways, and that their complementary activity may produce greater effects than either drug individually.

Indexed as

Alzheimer DiseaseAnimalsBrainCholinesterase InhibitorsDrug Therapy, CombinationExcitatory Amino Acid AntagonistsHumansMemantineNeuroprotective AgentsTreatment OutcomeCholinesterase InhibitorsExcitatory Amino Acid AntagonistsMemantineNeuroprotective Agents

Identifiers

PMID23657927
PMCPMC3753463
OpenAlexW2158273573

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.