NMDA antagonists controls

Danysz W, Parsons CG, Mobius HJ, et al (2000) Neuroprotective and symptomatological action of memantine relevant for Alzheimer s disease—an unified glutamatergic hypothesis on the mechanism of action. Neurotox Res 2 85-97 Davis SM, Lees KR, Albers GW, et al (2000) Selfotel in acute ischemic stroke possible neurotoxic effects of an NMDA antagonist. Stroke 31 347-354 DeKeyser J (1991) Excitotoxic mechanisms may be involved in the pathophysiology of tardive dyskinesia. Clin Neuropharmacol 14 562-565 Del Dotto P, Pavese N, Gambaccini G, et al (2001) Intravenous amantadine improves levodopa-induced dyskinesias an acute double-blind placebo-controlled study. Mov Disord 16 515-520... 

Wiesenfeld-Hallin, Zsuzsanna Combined opioid-NMDA antagonist therapies. What advantages do they offer for the control of pain syndromes, Drugs, 1998, 55, 1-4. 

Stoet G, Snyder LH. 2006. Effects of the NMDA Antagonist Ketamine on Task-Switching Performance Evidence for Specific Impairments of Executive Control. Neuropsychopharmacology 31 1675-1681. 

Remacemide, an anticonvulsant and NMDA antagonist, is being studied in PD. It has been shown to enhance the effects of levodopa in rats and monkeys (Greenamyre et al., 1994). A randomized, controlled trial of remacemide in 279 patients with PD and motor flucmations showed trends towards improvement of on time, but no evidence of neuroprotection (Parkinson Smdy Group, 2001). In a small HD trial, remacemide tended to alleviate chorea but failed to slow functional decline (Huntington Study Group, 2001). 

The hypoglutamatergic hypothesis of schizophrenia is attractive because it is consistent with the lack of changes in Da number in schizophrenia, and the increases in dopamine release in schizophrenia. They are also consistent with the ability of the noncompetitive NMDA antagonists PCP and ketamine to induce behaviors reminiscent of the positive symptoms of schizophrenia in normals and precipitate these episodes in patients. Ketamine was administered to schizophrenic patients acutely in a blinded, placebo-controlled trial (31). The drug caused a dose-related initiation of positive psychotic symptoms that were not blocked by haloperidol. The patients... 

Uncontrolled post-operative acute pain, particularly in patients with a history of chronic pain and opioid dependency, can be quickly and effectively relieved by careful and slow titration of intravenous methadone. Similar results maybe achieved in some opioid-naive patients who are refractory to high doses of potent opioids administered in the post-anesthesia care unit (PACU). This author uses 2.5 mg of methadone every 5-10 minutes to extinguish the fire associated with poorly controlled pain, and, once adequate analgesia is obtained, initiates hydromorphone intravenous PCA bolus with or without continuous infusion. It is likely that the intrinsic NMDA antagonistic property of the d-isomer of methadone blunts NMDA receptor activation and spinal sensitization induced by opioids (opioid hyperalgesia) as well as poorly controlled pain. 

Pud E, Eisenberg E, Spitzer A, et al. The NMDA antagonist amantadine reduces surgical neuropathic pain in cancer patients a double blind, randomized, placebo controlled trial. Pain 1998 75(2-3) ... 

Eisenberg, E., Kleiser, A., Dortort, A., Haim, T., Yarnitsky, D. The NMDA (N-methyl-D-aspartate) receptor antagonist memantine in the treatment of postherpetic neuralgia a double-blind, placebo-controlled study, Eur. J. Pain 1998, 2, 321-327. 

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