People with dementia suffer from more than just memory loss: they suffer from irritability, sleep disturbances, depression and more. While few medications fully relieve such symptoms, a study in Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment found that an extract of the herb ginkgo biloba might be one natural option for relief.
For 24 weeks, 410 participants with mild to moderate dementia were randomly assigned to a daily placebo or 240 mg of ginkgo biloba extract (EGb761®), a product made by the company that commissioned the study.
Participants were given a questionnaire that evaluates dementia symptoms and the participants’ caregivers filled out questionnaires about their level of distress. Participants were not taking medications for dementia. Results showed:
Participants in the ginkgo group experienced small but statistically significant improvements in symptoms such as sleep disturbances, indifference, irritability, depression and motor behaviours compared with the placebo group.
Interestingly, caregivers’ distress also improved in the ginkgo group but not in the placebo group. Possibly because improvements experienced by the participants also improved the lives of the people caring for them.
The study authors comment that in people with dementia, such symptoms may result in “long-term hospitalisation, increased use of medication and a decrease in quality of life for patients and caregivers.” They suggest that ginkgo may be one alternative for providing relief. Large clinical trials are needed to confirm these findings.
From a newsletter put out by Biovea.com/au
Toms Blog on Life and Livingness