A drug used to slow Alzheimer's disease may help improve social behaviors in some children with autism spectrum disorder ( ASD ).

The results of a small clinical trial are promising, although not yet conclusive. They suggest that a specific subset of young people with ASD may experience positive outcomes from taking memantine, despite previous studies finding no clear benefits.

Memantine (sometimes sold under the brand name Namenda) is an oral medication that blocks the brain's receptors for glutamate – a neurotransmitter that can be toxic in high amounts. Reducing glutamate across the brain can help slow the progression of neurodegenerative conditions.

A brain region particularly rich in glutamate receptors is the pregenual anterior cingulate cortex (pgACC), which is i

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