Magnesium supplementation in the treatment of dementia patients

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia. Many risk factors have been defined in the literature, and the roles of environmental factors, nutrition, some vitamins and trace elements have been investigated. The role of magnesium (Mg) in dementia and other degenerative disorders has been the focus of increased attention in recent years. Concentration of Mg affects many biochemical mechanisms, which consist of N-methyl D-spartate (NMDA) receptor response to excitatory amino acids, stability and viscosity of the cell membrane and toxic effects of calcium. Mg usage with drugs like memantine, which has an influence via Mg, can be useful in dementia treatment. According to the results of these studies, Mg support can facilitate learning and result in improvement in other symptoms. Memantine use has shown some benefit in moderate-to-severe Alzheimer's disease or for vascular dementia. Mg in the treatment of dementia facilitates learning and contributes to improvement in other symptoms; used in conjunction with memantine it may serve to increase memantine's symptomatic and neuroprotective effects, via its influence on NMDARs. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.