Herbal Supplement Supports Cognitive Function

By CP Staff

A recently published analysis evaluated previous research regarding the effectiveness of an herbal supplement on dementia, which is characterized by a significant loss in cognitive ability beyond what is expected with normal aging. Approximately 14 percent of American adults over the age of 71 have dementia. In addition, Alzheimer\'s disease, the most serious type of dementia, affects 5.3 million adults age 65 or older.

In this new study, researchers reviewed the previous randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials in which Ginkgo biloba extract was supplemented to dementia patients for at least 6 months. The data from 6 clinical trials was collected and analyzed.

The results of this analysis showed that cognitive function was significantly improved in the subjects supplemented with Ginkgo biloba extract compared to the subjects receiving placebo. In fact, there was a difference in cognitive function of 11 percent between the groups receiving Ginkgo biloba and the placebo groups. Furthermore, according to the Alzheimer\'s disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale, the subjects that received Ginkgo biloba improved their scores by an average of 2.65 points.

The study authors concluded, “Considering baseline risk in the assessment of treatment effect, Ginkgo biloba extract was found to be effective for cognitive functions in dementia with the treatment of 6 months.”

Reference:

Wang BS, Wang H, Song YY, Qi H, Rong ZX, Wang BS, Zhang L, Chen HZ. Effectiveness of Standardized Ginkgo biloba Extract on Cognitive Symptoms of Dementia with a Six-Month Treatment: A Bivariate Random Effect Meta-Analysis. Pharmacopsychiatry. 2010 Jan 26. Published Online Ahead of Print.