Dementia Japan27:92-96, 2013

Combination therapy with galantamine and memantine improves Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) in patients with early-onset Alzheimer's disease

Atsushi Hamuro

Amekudai Hospital, Department of Psychiatry

    The patient was a man in whom Alzheimer's disease (AD) occurred when he was 53 years old.  Since 2 years after the onset of AD, the patient has been in and out of hospital because of symptoms such as delusion, irritation and violence.  For the treatment of these symptoms, a combination therapy using memantine (20 mg) and galanthamine (8 mg) was prescribed.  From 2 weeks after the start of the combination therapy, the patient showed a remission of irritation as well as resolutions of delusion and violence;therefore, the patient was able to discontinue use of other psychotropic drugs.  As a measure to alleviate behavioral and psychological symptoms of early-onset AD, it was suggested that memantine/galanthamine combination therapy could be a therapeutic option.

Address correspondence to Dr. Atsushi Hamuro, Amekudai Hospital, Department of Psychiatry (1123 Ameku, Naha, Okinawa 900-0005, Japan)