Table 2Assessment scales mainly used in the clinical trials reviewed. To compare the results obtained by different studies a regression algorithm evaluating the progression of the degenerative disease and the influence of treatments on it was also used. 3. AG-014699 ResultsOnly 83 of the 941 abstracts selected were considered relevant to the topic, and only 13 met the criterion of ��adequacy and representativeness�� indicated by Newcastle-Ottawa score. Therefore, the results reported here refer to data emerging from these 13 studies. They include 6 RCTs with memantine as monotherapy, 5 RCTs with donepezil as monotherapy, and 2 RCTs with donepezil plus memantine treatment. Comparative analysis of data of different trials with the regression algorithm of results obtained was not possible due to the short time of the studies that except one reaching one year of observation did not exceed 6 months.

3.1. Memantine MonotherapyThe 6 trials that examined the effect of memantine in moderate-to-severe AD patients are listed in Table 3. Table 3Clinical trials examined assessing the influence of treatment with memantine in moderate-severe AD. The baseline characteristics of patients recruited by these 6 RCTs are summarized as follows.Fox et al. [17]: 149 participants recruited from nursing or residential care homes and acute psychiatric wards in the United Kingdom, mean age 85 years (memantine groups) and 84 years (placebo groups) and mean baseline MMSE 7 in both groups. F?rstl et al. [18]: 4305 participants recruited from different sites in Greece and Germany, mean age 75 years and mean baseline MMSE 17.

Herrmann et al. [19]: 24 participants were recruited from two LTC facilities (a Veteran Affairs Canada LTC facility and a community nursing home), assessed for 3 months, mean age 86 years and mean baseline MMSE 9. Schulz et al. [20]: 93 patients were screened and treated at 21 study centers in Germany and Austria, assessed for 12 weeks, mean age years 74 and mean baseline MMSE 16.Rainer et al. [21]: 350 participants recruited from 88 Austrian centers (general practitioners, psychiatric and neurological practices, and outpatient hospital departments), assessed for 4 months, mean age years 78 and mean baseline MMSE 12.Wilcock et al. [22]: 593 participants, assessed 6 months, mean age years 77 and mean baseline MMSE 9.The general conclusion of different investigations was that treatment with memantine improved global cognition [18, 20, 21] and functional communication [20] and had positive effect on agitation Cilengitide and aggressive behavior [19�C22]. The effect on agitation was not confirmed by one study [17].