Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine and Cognitive Health

We conducted a systematic review aimed to examine the effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine in treating humans with cognitive impairments and improving cognitive function by examining the latest evidence published within the last ten years.

Studies published between 2013 and February 2023 concerning the effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine in treating cognitive impairments were systematically reviewed. Two different databases, MEDLINE and PsycINFO, were searched to identify relevant articles.

A total of four articles met the inclusion criteria and were included in the review. Out of the four studies included, three used Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine to target patients with mild cognitive impairments, while the remaining study used Traditional Chinese Herbal Medicine to target sub-healthy patients’ cognitive function. Three studies found improvements in cognitive function, one study found improvements in episodic memory, and one study found progression rates of Alzheimer’s Disease in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairments (aMCI) to be lowered.

References:

An, H., Tao, W., Liang, Y., Li, P., Li, M., Zhang, X., Chen, K., Wei, D., Xie, D., & Zhang, Z. (2021). Dengzhanxixin Injection Ameliorates Cognitive Impairment Through a Neuroprotective Mechanism Based on Mitochondrial Preservation in Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke. Frontiers in Pharmacology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fphar.2021.712436

Li, J., Guo, H., Ge, L., Cheng, L., Wang, J., Li, H., Zhang, K., Xiang, J., Chen, J., Zhang, H., & Xu, Y. (2017). Mechanism of Cerebralcare Granule® for Improving Cognitive Function in Resting-State Brain Functional Networks of Sub-healthy Subjects. Frontiers in Neuroscience, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnins.2017.00410

Tian, J., Shi, J., Wei, M., Ni, J., Fang, Z., Gao, J., Wang, H., Yao, H., Zhang, J., Li, J., Min, M., Su, L., Sun, X., Wang, B., Wang, B., Yang, F., Zou, Y., Hu, Y., Lin, Y., & Xu, G. (2019). Chinese herbal medicine Qinggongshoutao for the treatment of amnestic mild cognitive impairment: A 52‐week randomized controlled trial. Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions, 5(1), 441–449. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.trci.2019.03.001

Zhang, J., Xu, K., Wei, D., Guo, R., Li, H., Wang, Y., & Zhang, Z. (2015). The Effects of Bushen Capsule on Episodic Memory in Amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment Patients: A Pilot Placebo Controlled fMRI Study. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 46(3), 665–676. https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-150004