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Ginkgo Does Not
Help Memory in Senior Citizens, Study Says
Aug. 20, 2002 - Several
over-the-counter treatments are marketed as having the ability to
improve memory, attention, and related cognitive functions and ginkgo
is one of the most notable. A new study says it provides no measurable
benefit in memory or related cognitive function to senior adults with
healthy cognitive function.
The results of the study are published
in the current issue of the
Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).
Participants were volunteer men and
women older than 60 years with good mental states and in generally
good health. They were recruited by a US academic center through
newspaper advertisements and enrolled over a 26-month period from July
1996 to September 1998.
The objective of the study was to
evaluate whether ginkgo, an over-the-counter agent marketed as
enhancing memory, improves memory in elderly adults as measured by
objective neuropsychological tests and subjective ratings.
The results of this 6-week study
indicate that ginkgo did not facilitate performance on standard
neuropsychological tests of learning, memory, attention, and
concentration or naming and verbal fluency in elderly adults without
cognitive impairment, according to the researchers. The ginkgo group
also did not differ from the control group in terms of self-reported
memory function or global rating by spouses, friends, and relatives,
they said.
Two hundred three participants (88%)
completed the test protocol. Analysis of the 219 participants
returning for evaluation indicated that there were no significant
differences between treatment groups on any outcome measure. Analysis
of the 203 who complied with treatment and returned for evaluation
also indicated no significant differences for any outcome measure.
The study was done by Paul R. Solomon,
PhD; Felicity Adams, BA; Amanda Silver, BA; Jill Zimmer, BA; Richard
DeVeaux, PhD. All are associated with Williams College, Williamstown,
Mass; and The Memory Clinic, Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.
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