Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a disorder characterised by a progressive deterioration of physical and mental functions, which can lead to reduced patient autonomy and quality of life (QoL). Memantine, an uncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist, enhances autonomy in patients with moderate-to-severe AD, according to the results of a study presented at the 156th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association [San Francisco, California, US; May 2003].1The investigators who conducted the study commented that this result"could explain the lower societal costs for memantine-treated patients".Another study presented at the meeting showed that memantine is cost effective, and offers cost savings, compared with standard care.2