Dementia
research
Complementary Therapies
Ginkgo and other
plants shown to be successful in Alzheimers
Ginkgo has been shown to be as
successful in controlled studies as prescribed drugs such as tacrine
or donepezil and, importantly without the undesirable side effects.
The use of complementary
medicines, such as plant extracts, in dementia therapy varies
according to the different cultural traditions. Conventional Western
medicine, unlike traditional Chinese medicine, has not, as a rule,
concerned itself with memory-enhancing plant extracts to help in the
treatment of Alzheimer's disease. However, there is one exception -
Gingko biloba.
Gingko biloba contains
gingkolides which have antioxidant, neuroprotective and cholinergic
activities relevant to Alzheimer's disease.
Traditional European herbal
medicine reference books, document a variety of other plants such as
Salvia officinalis (sage) and Melissa officinalis (balm) with
memory-improving
properties, and cholinergic activities have also recently been
identified in extracts of these plants.
With recent major advances in
understanding the neuro- biology of Alzheimer's disease, and as yet
limited efficacy
of drug therapies, researchers are looking at new directions in drug
development and believe that Gingko biloba offers significant
potential benefits for Alzheimer's sufferers. It seems certain that
many more studies will be conducted in the near future on the
therapeutic properties of this herb and its application for dementia
patients.
Medicinal plants
and Alzheimer's disease: from ethnobotany to phytotherapy.Perry EK;
Pickering AT; Wang WW; Houghton PJ; Perry NS. Medical
Research Council, Newcastle General Hospital, Newcastle upon Tyne. J
Pharm Pharmacol, 51:527-34, May 1999
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