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Could a dementia drug shield kids' brains from radiation damage?

NCT ID NCT03194906

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed This study
The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This pilot study tested whether memantine, a drug used for dementia in adults, could help prevent memory and thinking problems in children receiving brain radiation for tumors like glioma or craniopharyngioma. 41 children aged 6-21 took either memantine or a placebo during radiation. The goal was to see if the study was feasible and if memantine could protect cognitive function. Results are still being analyzed.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
Memantine (a drug used for dementia in adults)
What this could lead to
If it works, this could point toward a way to reduce thinking and memory problems in children after brain radiation.
What could go wrong
This is a very early pilot study with only 41 children, so results may not be conclusive. Memantine is not yet approved for children, and side effects are possible.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Phase

Phase 2

Tests whether the treatment actually works, and watches for side effects, in a larger group.

Participants

41 people

The number who actually took part.

Started

Nov 2017

Finished

Jun 2023

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Ages

6 to 21 years

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Age 6 years to 21 years at time of study enrollment * Diagnosis of localized low grade glioma \[e.g., pilocytic astrocytoma, optic pathway glioma, ogligodendroglioma, ganglioglioma, pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma (PXA)\], craniopharyngioma, ependymoma, or germ cell tumor * Initiating focal cranial radiation therapy (photon or proton) * Laboratory tests \[transaminases (ALT, AST, ALP), BUN and creatinine not greater than twice normal\] and normal ECG * Speak, read and understand English sufficiently to complete study assessments * Adequate vision and hearing for valid completion of study measures * Negative βHCG pregnancy test among females of childbearing age * Participant must be able to swallow pills (psychology staff will be available to assist with pill swallowing training if needed) * Parent/Legal guardian available and able to speak, read and understand English Exclusion Criteria: * Medical disorder that would endanger subject's well-being (e.g., uncorrected hypothyroidism, cardiac arrhythmia, hypertension requiring treatment, sick sinus syndrome, prolonged QTc) * History of significant neurological disease including poorly controlled seizures (i.e., \> 1 seizure per month; anti-epileptic medications are acceptable), stroke, or head injury with loss of consciousness * Psychiatric condition that would preclude or take precedence over study participation (e.g., active psychosis, suicidal ideation) * IQ below 70 based on baseline/screening assessment * Treatment with psychotropic medication (psychostimulant, antidepressant, anxiolytic, antipsychotic) within the past two weeks, unless being prescribed specifically as an anti-emetic * History of substance abuse * History of hypersensitivity or reaction to NMDA receptor antagonists * History of prior cranial radiation therapy

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • St. Jude Children's Research Hospital

    Memphis, Tennessee, 38105, United States

More trials for these conditions

Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.