Potential of Alzheimer's Medication to Improve Social Skills in Youth with Autism
A groundbreaking study suggests that memantine, an Alzheimer's drug, may enhance social skills in youth with autism, especially those with elevated brain glutamate levels, paving the way for personalized treatments.
Recent research led by Mass General Brigham indicates that a medication originally developed for Alzheimer's disease, memantine, may have promising effects on social impairments in some children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Autism affects over 2% of children and is characterized by difficulties in social interaction and communication. While prior studies exploring glutamate-modulating treatments like memantine have yielded mixed results, this new study sheds light on specific biomarkers that could predict treatment response.
Some individuals with ASD exhibit abnormal levels of glutamate, a key neurotransmitter involved in brain signaling. In a 12-week randomized controlled trial involving 42 participants aged 8 to 18 years without intellectual disabilities, researchers found that memantine significantly improved social behaviors more than a placebo. Notably, participants with elevated glutamate levels in the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC)—a brain region vital for social processing—responded particularly well to the treatment. Among these, 80% showed improvement, suggesting that measuring glutamate levels could help identify who might benefit most.
The trial also included brain scans of participants, revealing that those with higher glutamate levels saw greater benefits from memantine, which was generally well tolerated with mild side effects like headaches. These findings imply that pgACC glutamate measurement could serve as a biomarker for targeting treatment to individuals most likely to respond.
Dr. Gagan Joshi emphasized that while the drug helped improve social engagement and reduce autism severity, it did not eliminate all symptoms, indicating the need for further research. Larger clinical trials are planned to validate these findings and explore whether high glutamate levels can predict responses to other glutamate-modulating therapies.
The study’s results are published in JAMA Network Open source. This innovative approach highlights the potential for personalized treatment strategies, offering hope for improving social functioning in youth with ASD.
Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-10-alzheimer-disease-medication-social-impairment.html
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