Abstract

Yukmijihwang-tang (YMJ), also known as Luweidihuang-tang in China, has been widely used as a general herbal tonic for hundreds of years in many Asian countries. This study examines whether YMJ derivatives (YMJd) enhance cognitive ability in normal human subjects and discusses its potential as treatment for dementia patients with deficient cognitive ability. Subjects were divided into two groups, the placebo-treated group (n = 15) and the YMJd-treated group (n = 20). K-WAIS tests, a Korean version of an individual intelligence quotient (IQ) test, and a P300 latency assessment of event-related potential (ERP) were conducted in order to measure changes in cognitive ability before and after 6 weeks of YMJd treatment. The K-WAIS mean scores of the group treated with YMJd were significantly higher than those of the placebo group (p < 0.05), and their mean P300 latency was substantially shorter (p < 0.005). These results suggest that YMJd treatment accelerates the speed of information processing and enhances cognitive ability. YMJd treatment may help dementia patients or the elderly recover from cognition deficiencies or degeneration in clinic. © 2005 World Scientific Publishing Company.

Author keywords

Cognitive ability; Corni Fructus; Dementia; Discoreae Radix; K-WAIS; Lycii Fructus; P300 latency; Rehmannia Radix; Yukmijihwang-tang derivatives

Indexed keywords

EMTREE drug terms: Alismatis extract; allantoin; betaine; Chinese drug; Cornus extract; Hoelen extract; loganin; luweidihuang tang; Lycium extract; Paeonia suffruticosa extract; plant extract; Rehmannia extract; unclassified drug; yukmijihwang tang

EMTREE medical terms: adult; aging; Alismatidae; article; clinical article; clinical trial; cognitive defect; controlled clinical trial; controlled study; Cornus; dementia; double blind procedure; event related potential; female; human; intelligence quotient; intelligence test; Lycium; male; nerve degeneration; neuropsychological test; Paeonia suffruticosa; randomized controlled trial; Rehmannia

MeSH: Adolescent; Adult; Cognition; Cornus; Double-Blind Method; Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Event-Related Potentials, P300; Female; Humans; Male; Neuropsychological Tests; Placebos; Rehmannia
Medline is the source for the MeSH terms of this document.

Chemicals and CAS Registry Numbers: allantoin, 97-59-6; betaine, 107-43-7, 590-46-5; loganin, 18524-94-2;Drugs, Chinese Herbal; Placebos

Manufacturers:Drug manufacturer: Sun Ten, Taiwan.