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Amantadine for Treating Parkinson’s Disease

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NeuroPsychopharmacotherapy

Abstract

Antiparkinsonian activity of amantadine was first described in 1969 and was confirmed by several trials in later years. The improvement of parkinsonian symptoms is mild. However, in patients with motor fluctuations, clear reduction of dyskinesia could be observed. A possible neuroprotective impact is still under discussion, but lacking evidence. The clinical efficacy is caused by two main mechanisms of action. First, amantadine shows direct and indirect modulation of the dopaminergic system. Moreover, amantadine inhibits N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) subtype of glutamate receptors. Preclinical data suggest an association of both neuroprotective potential and antidyskinetic properties with the antiglutamatergic activity of amantadine. In recent years, the antidyskinetic efficacy generated increasing interest and subsequent development of new (immediate and extended release) amantadine formulations.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurology, Leopoldina-Hospital Schweinfurt, Schweinfurt, Germany

    Wilfried Kuhn

  2. Department of Neurology, St. Joseph Hospital Berlin-Weißensee, Berlin, Germany

    Thomas Müller

Authors
  1. Wilfried Kuhn
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  2. Thomas Müller
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Wilfried Kuhn .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept Psychiatry , Psychosomatics & Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Medical School Clinical Neurochemistry, Würzburg, Germany

    Peter Riederer

  2. Inst für Psychologische Medizin, Haag, Bayern, Germany

    Gerd Laux

  3. Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto Department of Psychiatry, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Benoit Mulsant

  4. Center Translational Res Neurol Diseases, Dalian Med Uni Shanghai Inst Health Sc Center Translational Res Neurol Diseases, Dalian, China

    Weidong Le

  5. Fujita Health University School Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan

    Toshiharu Nagatsu

Section Editor information

  1. Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan

    Toshiharu Nagatsu

  2. Institute of Environmental Medicine, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Aichi, Japan

    Toshiharu Nagatsu

  3. Department of Physiological Chemistry, Fujita Health University School of Medicine, Toyoake, Aichi, Japan

    Akira Nakashima

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© 2020 This is a U.S. Government work and not under copyright protection in the U.S.; foreign copyright protection may apply

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Kuhn, W., Müller, T. (2020). Amantadine for Treating Parkinson’s Disease. In: Riederer, P., Laux, G., Mulsant, B., Le, W., Nagatsu, T. (eds) NeuroPsychopharmacotherapy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56015-1_220-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-56015-1_220-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-56015-1

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-56015-1

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

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