Chinese Herbal Medicine May Fight Dementia Symptoms

SENDAI, Japan--A traditional Chinese herbal medicine may fight against cognitive and physical decline in dementia patients, according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (52, 9:1518-21, 2004).

In the eight-week, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trial, 33 elderly patients with mild to severe dementia (seven men and 26 women) were randomly assigned to receive the Chinese herbal medicine ba wei di huang wan (BDW) or placebo and monitored for changes in cognitive function and activities of daily living. At the end of the trial, various measures of mental function were assessed. Mental function significantly improved in the BDW group while no significant change was found in the placebo group.

The researchers concluded the results support the benefits of BDW in the treatment of dementia.