Gingko biloba is a traditional Chinese herb used for treating memory loss. The duration of previous studies, many of which had conflicting results, was usually 12 weeks or less. This six-month study measured brain metabolism (the amount of sugar the brain consumes) for the first time. Dr. Gary Small, MD, director of the Aging and Memory Research Center at UCLA and researchers at its Neuropsychiatric Institute used positron-emission tomography (PET) to measure metabolic and physiologic brain activity.

Those who took gingko biloba had improved verbal recall while those who took a placebo did not. Researchers were able to correlate improved verbal recall with increased physiologic activity in the memory area of the brain, but changes in brain metabolism did not differ significantly between the two groups. Researchers used cognitive tests to measure verbal recall before and after treatment.

The study examined 10 patients, aged 45 to 75, who did not have dementia (loss of intellectual abilities) but who complained of mild age-related memory loss. Four subjects received 120 mg of ginkgo biloba twice per day, and six received a placebo. Researchers said a larger study is needed to track brain metabolism results.

Ginkgo biloba is thought to work by increasing the amount of oxygen in the blood and by increasing blood flow throughout the body. In the brain, ginkgo biloba may help repair circulatory problems, improving memory.

Reference: Society for Neuroscience Annual Meeting; 2003, New Orleans, LA.

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