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# Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761® helps dementia - clinical trial confirms
- URL: https://www.foodconsumer.org/ginkgo_biloba_dementia_082420120800/
- Published: 2012-08-24T20:59:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-22T16:09:15.000Z
- Description: In a 24-week randomized trial of 410 outpatients with mild to moderate dementia, 240 mg daily of the Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 improved SKT cognitive scores by 2.2 points against 0.3 on placebo, and neuropsychiatric scores by 4.6 against 2.1.
- Author: Food Consumer
- Tags: Supplements, Nutrition, #vivvo-import

By David Liu, PHD

Friday Aug 24, 2012 ([foodconsumer.org](http://www.foodconsumer.org/)) -- Great news for millions of American elderly people who suffer dementia! A new clinical trial in Journal of Psychiatric Research confirms that taking a Ginkgo biloba extract preparation known as EGb 761® is both safe and effective in helping patients with mild to moderate dementia including Alzheimer's disease or vascular dementia.

This is a multi-center, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial involving 410 outpatients with mild to moderate dementia with with neuropsychiatric symptoms seen commonly in Alzheimer's and vascular dementia patients. Dementia patients were assessed for their conditions and they scored 9 to 23 on the SKT cognitive battery, at least 6 on the Neuropsychhiatric NPI total scores, with at least one of four key items rated at 4 or higher. 

For the trial, at the baseline and at the end of 24 weeks of daily treatment with 240 mg of the Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761®, patients were evaluated primarily for their SKT and NPI total scores. They were subject to secondary tests including the ADCS Clinical Global Impression of Change, Verbal Fluency Test, Activities of Daily Living International Scale, DEMQOL-Proxy quality-of-life scale and 11-point box scales for tinnitus and dizziness.

The clinical trial found 200 patients who received the Ginkgo biloba extract formulation EGb 761® daily for 24 weeks improved their SKT total score by 2.2 points, compared to 0.3 points in 202 patients who received a placebo. The treatment also improved the NPI composite score by 4.6 points, compared to 2.1 points in patients receiving the placebo. Both comparisons are statistically significant.

Dementia patients treated with EGb 761® also showed an improvement in their performance on most of the secondary tests, compared to patients receiving the placebo.

Horst Herrschaft of University of Cologne in Cologne, Germany and colleagues, investigators of the clinical trial, concluded "treatment with EGb 761® at a once-daily dose of 240 mg was safe and resulted in a significant and clinically relevant improvement in cognition, psychopathology, functional measures and quality of life of (dementia) patients and caregivers."

Doctors do not have a cure for dementia including Alzheimer's disease. Germany is known to be more open to alternative treatments than some countries and this clinical trial suggests that this disease at least can be improved with Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761® and potentially other alternative treatments.