Alzheimer’s drug, memantine, has been shown in some studies to be effective in treating both hair-pulling disorder (trichotillomania) and skin-picking disorder (dermatillomania). Memantine is a medication that is typically used to treat symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, such as memory loss and confusion, by blocking the activity of a chemical in the brain called glutamate.
Trichotillomania and dermatillomania are both considered to be body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs). These disorders involve repetitive and compulsive behaviors such as pulling out hair, picking at skin, or biting nails, which can lead to significant distress and physical damage to the affected areas. The exact causes of BFRBs are not fully understood, but it is thought to involve a combination of genetic, environmental, and psychological factors.
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Memantine For Skin & Hair Pulling Conditions
The researchers recruited about 100 adults with the disorders, in a double-blind trial for eight weeks. The team assessed patients taking either memantine or a placebo every two weeks using the National Institute of Mental Health Trichotillomania Symptom Severity Scale. The scale was further modified to assess skin-picking since there isn’t a common measurement tool for it. Two people dropped out after reporting dizziness, and 79 fully completed the study.
26 out of 43 study participants saw ‘much’ or ‘very much’ improvement after taking memantine for eight weeks. Meanwhile, Six people in the memantine group and one in the placebo group experienced complete relief of their symptoms.
“A person’s self-esteem is greatly impacted by these behaviors, so they may not go for interviews for a better job, for example. They may not have the social life they want,” says lead author Jon Grant, MD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral neuroscience at the University of Chicago Medicine, in a media release.
According to Grant, the effects of memantine came kind of serendipitously. “One day the patient told me, ‘Wow, that stopped me from pulling my hair.”
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While it has been found that memantine can be effective in reducing the symptoms of BFRBs, more research is needed to confirm these findings. It is thought that memantine may work by reducing the activity of certain brain chemicals that are involved in the development of BFRBs.
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