Effect of Panax Ginseng on the Cognitive Performance in Alzheimer’s Disease

Alzheimer's Disease Clinical Trial

Clinical Trial Details — Status: Completed

Administrative data

• NCT number: NCT00391833
• Other study ID #: ginseng-AD
• Status: Completed
• Phase: Phase 1/Phase 2
• First received: October 22, 2006
• Last updated: October 22, 2006
• Start date: April 2004
• Est. completion date: October 2005

Study information

• Verified date: October 2006
• Source: Seoul National University Hospital
• Contact: n/a
• Is FDA regulated: No
• Health authority: Korea: Food and Drug Administration
• Study type: Interventional

Clinical Trial Summary

We investigate the clinical efficacy of Panax ginseng in Alzheimer’s disease (AD).

Description:

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by a progressive decline of memory and intellectual abilities, interfering activity in daily living, the overall quality of life, and ultimately leads to death. Although pharmacologic treatments are currently approved for treating mild- to moderate AD using acetylcholinesterase inhibitors (ACEI) or memantine, the NMDA antagonist, for the advanced stage of AD, the therapeutic efficacies need to be further improved.

For millennia, ginseng or its components have been used to treat medical conditions, and the pharmacologic effects have been demonstrated in cardiovascular, endocrine and immune system (Attele et al., 1999). In means of memory and learning, a number of studies suggested that ginseng can attenuate learning deficits of damaged or ageing brains in rodent models (Kennedy et al., 2003; Zhao and McDaniel, 1998; Nitta et al., 1995). In studies with human healthy participants, correspondently, both acute and chronic dosage of ginseng increased the cognitive performance (Kennedy et al., 2001; Kennedy et al., 2003; D’Angelo et al., 1986; Sorensen and Sonne, 1996).

In this study, we we will investigate the contribution of ginseng treatment in increasing the cognitive improvement of AD patients. In addition, we will test various bio-markers and hematopoietic progenitor cell count in those included patients using their blood samples. Patients with AD as well as memory decline will be included

Recruitment information / eligibility

• Status: Completed
• Enrollment: 0
• Est. completion date: October 2005
• Gender: Female
• Age group: 40 Years to 83 Years

Eligibility

Inclusion Criteria:

• Alzheimer's disease

Exclusion Criteria:

• other neurologic disease

Study Design

Allocation: Non-Randomized, Endpoint Classification: Safety/Efficacy Study, Intervention Model: Single Group Assignment, Masking: Open Label, Primary Purpose: Treatment

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Alzheimer Disease
• Alzheimer's Disease
• Memory Decline

Intervention

Drug:
• Panax Ginseng

Locations

Country	Name	City	State
n/a

Sponsors (1)

Lead Sponsor	Collaborator
Seoul National University Hospital

Outcome

Type	Measure	Description	Time frame	Safety issue
Primary	Cognitive performances monitored by MMSE and Alzheimer’s disease assessment scales.
Primary	Biomarkers including hematopoietic progenitor cell count.