[Memantine for optic nerve atrophy in Friedreich's Ataxia].

A 24-year-old patient with Friedreich's ataxia presented with advanced visual loss due to optic nerve atrophy. After interdisciplinary consultation and after obtaining informed consent, an off-label therapy with the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist memantine was initiated. In a 1-year follow-up no further loss of the nerve fiber layer could be detected by optical coherence tomography (OCT) and visual acuity remained stable. Despite the limitations of this single and time limited case observational study, memantine should be discussed as an option for treatment of acute optic nerve atrophy in Friedreich's ataxia.