Efficacy and safety of herbal medicine on dementia and cognitive function: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analysis

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#humans #activities-of-daily-living #cognition #dementia #drugs-chinese-herbal

Efficacy and safety of herbal medicine on dementia and cognitive function: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analysis

Sawangjit et al., 2023 | Phytother Res | Systematic Review

Citation

Sawangjit Ratree, Chuenchom Chorthip, ... Jinatongthai Peerawat. Efficacy and safety of herbal medicine on dementia and cognitive function: An umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analysis. Phytother Res. 2023-Jun;37(6):2364-2380. doi:10.1002/ptr.7759

Abstract

This study aims to summarize the effects of herbs on dementia and assess the strength of evidence. Six international and local databases were searched from inception to October 2021 for systematic reviews and meta-analyses of clinical trials investigated the effects of herbal medicine on dementia or cognitive function. Two researchers independently extracted data, assessed the methodological quality, and rated the credibility of evidence according to established criteria. Thirty-seven articles evaluating 13 herbal medicines were included. Of these, 65% were rated critically low using AMSTAR2. Of 90 unique outcomes, 41 (45.6%) were statistically significant based on random effects model (p ≤ .05). Only 3 herbs were supported by suggestive evidence whereas the others were supported by weak evidence. The suggestive evidence supported benefits of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) plus pharmacotherapy (WMD:1.84; 95% CI: 1.34, 2.35) and Vinpocetine (WMD: -0.94; 95%CI: -1.50, -0.38) on improving cognitive function assessing by Montreal Cognitive Assessment and Syndrom-Kurz-Test, respectively. Moreover, suggestive evidence supported benefit of Huperzia serrata on improving Activities of Daily Living (WMD:-7.18; 95%CI: -9.12, -5.23). No SAE was reported. In conclusion, several herbs were used for improving dementia and cognitive function but recent evidence were limited by the small sample size and poor methodological quality. Therefore, further large and well-designed studies are needed to support the evidence.

Key Findings

Therefore, further large and well-designed studies are needed to support the evidence.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition cognitive

MeSH Terms

  • Humans
  • Activities of Daily Living
  • Cognition
  • Dementia
  • Drugs, Chinese Herbal
  • Herbal Medicine
  • Systematic Reviews as Topic
  • Meta-Analysis as Topic

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Systematic Review
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Systematic Review
  • Vertical: ginkgo

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09