Ginkgo biloba
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Executive Summary
Recruitment underway for four-year Oregon Health Sciences University study examining standardized ginkgo biloba extract's effects in preventing or delaying cognitive decline in people ages 85 and older. Randomized, double-blind trial is enrolling 200 cognitively healthy subjects who will be followed for mild cognitive impairment, a precursor to dementia. Subjects will be randomized to either placebo or 240 mg ginkgo extract per day. Placebo subjects will be placed on ginkgo 24 months after entry. Changes in MRI-determined volume will be assessed at baseline, 24 and 42 months. Principal investigator is Jeffrey Kaye, MD, director of OHSU's Oregon Aging & Alzheimer's Disease Center. OHSU received $7.8 mil. from NCCAM for neurological disorders research in 1999 (1"The Tan Sheet" Oct. 4, 1999, p. 4)