Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is associated with progressive deterioration of cognitive and functional abilities (Fig. 1). To date, there is no cure and no validated disease-modifying treatment. Therefore, the aim of therapy is to maintain the patient’s independence as long as possible, and to reduce the burden of care. Data from long-term observational studies of antidementia drugs on deterioration rates suggest that persistent use of the available drugs can slow the clinical progression of AD as assessed by cognitive, functional and global outcome measures, possibly even in advanced cases (Rountree et al. 2009). The N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist memantine is able to preserve everyday competence including cognitive abilities, social behavior, basic everyday activities and communication. There is evidence that therapy with a combination of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine has positive effects on different aspects of the

disease, which exceed those of monotherapy.