| Study examines effect of herbal remedy on MS patients 4/19/02 10:57:00 AM (SH) - A new study finds that the herbal supplement ginkgo biloba helps slow mental decline in people with multiple sclerosis, a researcher reported Thursday. Although the herbal remedy derived from the primitive, familiar tree has been used to "benefit the brain" in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years, the study at the University of California-San Diego School of Medicine was the first scientific test of the product in those with MS. "We found that ginkgo biloba, in doses of 240 mg a day, is well tolerated and may show a beneficial effect on attention, memory and functioning in patients with mild MS," said Dr. Jody Corey-Bloom, a professor of neurosciences. Earlier studies have shown that ginkgo can improve mental function in patients with Alzheimer's disease and dementia caused by strokes. Corey-Bloom told the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in Denver that about 50 percent of the 300,000 Americans with MS experience cognitive problems, usually with concentration, memory and abstract reasoning. MS is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system. In some patients, the symptoms of mental decline can occur early on, even when physical symptoms, such as loss of balance and muscle coordination, are mild. The six-month study involved 23 patients with mild MS, with 12 getting the supplement and 11 getting an inactive placebo. Neither the patients nor the researchers knew who was getting the active form of the extract at the time. Ginkgo tablets, made from an extract of the leaves, contains two active components - bioflavinoids that inhibit damage to the central nervous system from molecules called free radicals; and terpene lactones, which increase blood flow to the brain. Researchers have found that ginkgo generally only begins to have an effect after it is taken for a month or more, and while it has few side effects at low doses, can cause nausea, dizziness and restlessness in some people. Because it also appears to thin the blood and make it less likely to clot, it may be unsafe for use by people taking aspirin, warfarin or other anticoagulants for circulatory problems. Corey-Bloom said larger clinical trials with longer periods of treatment will be needed to confirm the findings of the pilot study, but added that she's "encouraged enough by the results" to recommend ginkgo to her MS patients who complain of cognitive problems. On the Net: http://www.aan.org |
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