+ Abstract
Objective: To evaluate the effect of the combination of memantine (MEM) with a cholinesterase inhibitor (ChEI) vs placebo (PBO) with ChEI on total Severe Impairment Battery (SIB) and three higher-order cognitive domains (memory, language, and praxis). Background: The SIB is used to assess cognitive changes in patients with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), allowing for reliable, valid, and sensitive detection of treatment effects when floor effects may be present on other cognitive tests. MEM results in significant improvements on the SIB compared with PBO in moderate to severe AD patients treated concurrently with a ChEI. Design/Methods: Data were pooled from two phase 3, randomized, double-blind, PBO-controlled 24-week trials (Tariot et al. JAMA, 2004; Grossberg et al. CNS Drugs, 2013) in patients with moderate to severe AD (baseline MMSE score<20). The SIB was administered at baseline and weeks 4, 8, 12, 18, and 24. Based on Schmitt et al. Alzheimer Dis Assoc Disord, 2006, SIB domains were aggregated to create higher-order subscales of memory (memory, attention, orientation, orienting to name), language (language, social interaction), and praxis (praxis, visuospatial ability, construction). Results: Compared with PBO/ChEI, MEM/ChEI significantly improved total SIB scores at weeks 8, 12, 18, and 24 (all, P<0.05). An analysis of higher-order domains demonstrated that MEM/ChEI treatment conferred significant effects on memory and language vs PBO/ChEI at weeks 12, 18, and 24 (all, P<0.05). On the higher-order domain of praxis, MEM/ChEI showed significant effects vs PBO/ChEI at all timepoints (weeks 4, 8, 12, 18, and 24, all P<0.05). Conclusions: The combination of MEM with a ChEI produced early and consistent improvements in cognition for patients with moderate to severe AD. Analysis of higher-order domains on the SIB further supported the efficacy of MEM in maintaining key cognitive functions (memory, language, and praxis), even when these patients are receiving the standard of ongoing ChEI treatment.