Journal of International Psychiatry

[Abstract]Objective The objective of the clinical trail was to evaluate efficacy and tolerability of memantine in patients with refractory obsession-compulsive disorder. Methods A total of 49 outpatients suffering from refractory obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) were randomly assigned to a treatment (memantine 20mg/day) or a control group (placebo). There were 24 patients (male 7, female 17, mean age 28.79±2.59years) in the target group, and 25 patients (male 8, female 17, mean age 29.04±2.81years) in the control group. Bo th groups were visited at baseline and every 4 weeks for 12 weeks. Results were measured using the Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale(Y-BOCS) and Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale (TESS). Results Repeated measure ANOVA showed significant effect for time×treatment interaction in Y-BOCS total score [F (1.57,74.00)=41.43, P <0.01] and compulsion score [F (1.44,67.68)=50.04, P <0.01], but not obsession score[F (2.17,101.80)=0.12, P >0.05]. The Y-BOCS total score and compulsion score were significantly reduced in the target group at the end of weeks 8 and 12, while no improvement was observed in the placebo group throughout the trail. Conclusions Memantine is an effective and well tolerated augmentation in refractory OCD patients.