SynthesisBMC psychiatry2026
Memantine for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder: a systematic review and narrative synthesis.
Synthesis in BMC psychiatry, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.
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.
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.
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Advancements in the Understanding of the Genetics of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD).Current psychiatry reports · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveObsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a chronic psychiatric condition for which a substantial proportion of patients do not respond adequately to first-line treatments. This review thus aimed to critically appraise the clinical literature examining memantine in obsessive-compulsive disorder, with a particular focus on individual study design, dosing strategies, tolerability, and methodological limitations.
methodsA structured literature search of MEDLINE was conducted in March 2024 from database inception to March 2024. Titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened against predefined inclusion criteria, and relevant studies were synthesised narratively. A second, identical literature search was conducted in August 2025 covering March 2024 to August 2025. In total, 10 studies were included in the narrative synthesis.
resultsOur findings suggest that memantine may offer therapeutic benefits for OCD. Methodological issues, however, such as small sample sizes, strong geographical clustering, the exclusion of dropout data and limited use of intention-to-treat analyses, restrict the generalisability of the reported outcomes. Tolerability varied significantly by dose, with higher doses being associated with increased side effects while lower doses appeared better tolerated but elicited a poorer efficacy, although evidence was mixed. Only one study rigorously assessed treatment-refractory OCD and reported significant symptomatic improvement following longer-term memantine administration. Baseline severity, treatment expectancy, and concurrent cognitive-behavioural therapy were also identified as factors that may mediate these effects.
conclusionOverall, current evidence does not support the routine use of memantine for OCD. However, it does highlight specific methodological considerations and priorities for future rigorous investigation. Future randomised controlled trials with larger samples, longer follow-ups, and standardised dosing protocols are needed to clearly determine memantine’s role in OCD management. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.
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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.