COGNITIVE AND QUANTIFIED ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHIC CORRELATES OF CYCLOSERINE TREATMENT IN ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE

Cycloserine acts as a potent and selective modulator of the N-methyl-D -aspartate (NMDA) receptor-associated glycine recognition site, which may be a possible mechanism for this compound's positive effects on me mory formation and retrieval processes in animals. Studies in normal h uman volunteers have shown that cycloserine can have significant posit ive effects on cognitive processing in the elderly and can ameliorate memory deficits induced by subcutaneously administered scopolamine. Ba sed on this profile, a double-blind, placebo controlled, parallel grou p (three drug dosages) study was conducted as part of a larger study t o assess the efficacy and safety, as well as the cognitive and central nervous system (CNS) impact, of 6 months of cycloserine treatment in patients (N = 40) with probable dementia of the Alzheimer type (DAT). The Cognitive Drug Research Computerized Assessment System (CDR System ) served as the primary outcome measure of efficacy. CNS activity was assessed using quantified electroencephalography (QEEG). Safety measur es included adverse effects documentation and analysis of blood chemis try/hematology. Cycloserine proved to be a safe agent in this populati on at the doses given but failed to show any statistically significant effects in the areas of cognition and global clinical ratings and did not indicate significant CNS activity on QEEG. These findings suggest that cycloserine has no measurable therapeutic effect on Alzheimer's disease at the doses given.