--- title: "Psych News Alert: Memantine Doesn't Improve Depression and Apathy in Disabled Older Patients" description: Memantine doesn’t appear to offer improvement to elderly patients who suffer a disabling medical event and subsequently become depressed and... image: https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/disabledelderlypatient_59333092-Jun-24-2025-07-42-28-1174-PM.jpg --- 12/28/11 12:00 AM # Memantine Doesn't Improve Depression and Apathy in Disabled Older Patients ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [ Psychiatric News Alert ](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) Share: [facebook-f icon ](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/12/memantine-doesn-improve-depression-and.html) [linkedin-in icon ](http://www.linkedin.com/shareArticle?mini=true&url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/12/memantine-doesn-improve-depression-and.html) [Twitter icon ](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/12/memantine-doesn-improve-depression-and.html) [pinterest-p icon ](http://pinterest.com/pin/create/link/?url=https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/12/memantine-doesn-improve-depression-and.html) [envelope icon ](mailto:?body=https://alert.psychnews.org/2011/12/memantine-doesn-improve-depression-and.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/disabledelderlypatient_59333092-Jun-24-2025-07-42-30-1746-PM.jpg?width=200&height=135&name=disabledelderlypatient_59333092-Jun-24-2025-07-42-30-1746-PM.jpg)](https://alert.psychnews.org/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/disabledelderlypatient_59333092-Jun-24-2025-07-42-29-0093-PM.jpg) Memantine doesn’t appear to offer improvement to elderly patients who suffer a disabling medical event and subsequently become depressed and apathetic. Preclinical data have suggested that memantine,  used for treatment of moderate to severe Alzheimer's disease, could reduce depressive and amotivated behavior occurring in the context of psychosocial stress. Researchers at Washington University  examined whether memantine could reduce depressive symptoms and amotivation manifesting in older adults after a disabling medical event, thereby improving their functional recovery. They recruited patients aged 60 and older who had suffered a disabling medical event and were admitted to a skilled nursing facility for rehabilitation. Participants with significant depressive symptoms and/or significant apathy symptoms were randomized to treatment with memantine or placebo for 12 weeks. Both groups showed reduction in depressive symptoms and improved function, but no significant reduction in apathy symptoms; there were no group differences between those who received memantine and those who received placebo. “Memantine was not associated with superior affective or functional outcome compared with placebo in medically rehabilitating older adults with depressive and apathy symptoms,” wrote the researchers online December 16 in the *International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry*. Memantine's benefit in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease has also been recently questioned. Read more in the [Journal Digest](http://psychnews.psychiatryonline.org/newsarticle.aspx?articleid=108703) feature of *Psychiatric News*. (Image: Yuri Arcurs/Shutterstock.com) [depression](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/depression), [apathy](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/apathy), [memantine](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/memantine), [elderly](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/elderly) ## Related posts [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/reynolds-charles-hi-Jun-24-2025-04-26-19-5751-PM.jpg?height=200&name=reynolds-charles-hi-Jun-24-2025-04-26-19-5751-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/04/problem-solving-therapy-may-help.html) [depression in elderly](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/depression-in-elderly), [problem-solving therapy](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/problem-solving-therapy), [dietary coaching](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/dietary-coaching) ## [Problem-Solving Therapy May Help Prevent Onset of Major Depression In Elderly, Study Finds](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/04/problem-solving-therapy-may-help.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 4/17/14 12:00 AM According to a study published in Psychiatric Services, problem-solving therapy for primary care... [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2014/04/problem-solving-therapy-may-help.html) [depression in elderly](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/depression-in-elderly), [aripiprazole](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/aripiprazole), [Venlafaxine](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/venlafaxine), [treatment-resistant depression](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/treatment-resistant-depression), [cognitive tests](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/cognitive-tests), [Charles Reynolds](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/charles-reynolds), [JAMA Psychiatry](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/jama-psychiatry) ## [Test May Offer Clues About Elderly Patients Likely to Benefit From Aripiprazole](https://alert.psychnews.org/2016/03/test-may-offer-clues-about-elderly.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 3/10/16 12:00 AM Elderly patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) who score well on a test that measures the... [ Read more ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2016/03/test-may-offer-clues-about-elderly.html) [![](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Imported_Blog_Media/therapist_iStock-668440484-Jun-24-2025-10-38-19-0639-PM.jpg?height=200&name=therapist_iStock-668440484-Jun-24-2025-10-38-19-0639-PM.jpg) ](https://alert.psychnews.org/2017/08/physical-comorbidities-poor-adherence.html) [treatment-resistant depression](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/treatment-resistant-depression), [physical comorbidity](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/physical-comorbidity), [treatment adherence](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/treatment-adherence), [major depressive disorder](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/major-depressive-disorder), [STAR*D](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/stard), [Ramin Mojtabai](https://alert.psychnews.org/tag/ramin-mojtabai) ## [Physical Comorbidities, Poor Adherence Appear Linked to Delayed Remission, Nonremission in Depression](https://alert.psychnews.org/2017/08/physical-comorbidities-poor-adherence.html) ![Picture of Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/hs-fs/hubfs/Psych%20News%20Email%20Banners/PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png?width=50&name=PN-Blue-Box_rgb.png) [Psychiatric News Alert](https://alert.psychnews.org/author/psychiatric-news-alert) 8/23/17 12:00 AM Physical comorbidities and poor treatment adherence appear to be associated with both a failure to... 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