Vitamin E, Memantine, and Alzheimer Disease

Abstract

The report by Dysken (et al.) in this issue of JAMA raises interesting issues about drug therapy for Alzheimer disease (AD) and emphasizes the importance of closely following this rapidly evolving field.In this randomized clinical trial, older veterans (97% men) with AD and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores of 12 to 26 who were receiving acetyl- cholinesterase inhibitors were assigned to 1 of 4 treatment groups: receiving synthetic vitamin E (alpha tocopherol, 2000 IU/d); memantine, 20 mg/d; both agents; or placebo.