Memantine for Enhanced Stroke Recovery
Ischemic Stroke, Upper Extremity Weakness
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Ischemic Stroke focused on measuring ischemic stroke, memantine, upper extremity weakness, motor recovery
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Age >18 years old
- Randomization between 3 days-8 weeks days of stroke symptom onset
- Arm weakness severe enough to warrant inpatient or outpatient occupational therapies
- Able to voluntarily move affected UE
- Living independently prior to their stroke
- Image-confirmed ischemic stroke (MRI or CT)
- Supratentorial location of stroke
- Fugl-Meyer Upper Extremity Score of 50 or less and/or Fugl Meyer Lower Extremity Score of 28 or less
- Ability to swallow pills
Exclusion Criteria:
- subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural hemorrhage or other cause of symptoms other than ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke
- Infratentorial location of stroke (brainstem or cerebellum)
- NIH Stroke Scale >20 at the time of randomization
- History of dementia that will interfere with rehabilitation
- Pre or post-stroke use of memantine or amantadine
- Contraindications to taking memantine XR in pill form
- History of prior clinical stroke with residual symptoms on the same side as the current symptoms that would interfere with outcomes of this study
- Documented severe renal impairment (CrCl < 30 ml/min) Blood tests will be performed prior to study procedures that will ensure patients do not have renal impairment if not done as part of clinical care.
- Moribund or not expected to live 6 months
- Severe cognitive deficits or pre-morbid function causing inaccurate neurologic assessment or inability to complete the initial assessment
- Comorbid neurologic disease that would interfere with the results including but not limited to Multiple Sclerosis, neurodegenerative diseases, spinal cord disease, and central nervous system cancer.
- Documented severe hepatic impairment (Child-Pugh score > 6) or severe hepatic disease (hepatitis)
- Patients who are pregnant or breast feeding
Sites / Locations
- University of Utah
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Placebo Comparator
Active Comparator
Placebo plus standard of care
Memantine plus standard of care
Participants will start taking either memantine or placebo within 24 hours after baseline testing and randomization is completed, but no later than day 8 post-symptom onset. Participants will titrate up on the dose of placebo until taking twice daily. Participants will continue for 90 days with placebo. Continue with standard of care for other treatment of stroke.
Participants will start taking either memantine or placebo within 24 hours after baseline testing and randomization is completed, but no later than day 8 post-symptom onset. Participants will use a titration schedule starting at 7mg daily for 1 week, increasing by 7mg (1 capsule) per week until at a goal dose of 28mg daily (goal dose) as recommend by the manufacturer. Participants will continue memantine for 90 days. Continue with standard care for stroke.