Acute, dose-dependent cognitive effects of Ginkgo biloba, Panax ginseng and their combination in healthy young volunteers: differential interactions with cognitive demand

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Title: Acute, dose-dependent cognitive effects of Ginkgo biloba, Panax ginseng and their combination in healthy young volunteers: differential interactions with cognitive demand
Author(s): Scholey, Andrew B.; Kennedy, David O.
Abstract: The present paper describes three studies examining the acute effects of single doses of Ginkgo biloba (GK501), Ginseng (G115) and their combination (Ginkoba M/E, Pharmaton SA) on the performance of healthy young adults (mean age 21 years) during serial arithmetic tasks with differing cognitive load. In each double-blind, placebo-controlled study three different treatment doses and a placebo were administered, according to a balanced crossover design, with a 7-day washout period between each dose. Participants' scores on two computerised serial subtraction tasks (Serial Threes and Serial Sevens) were assessed pre-dosing and at 1, 2.5, 4 and 6 h thereafter. A number of significant time, dose and task-specific effects were associated with each treatment. There was a dose-dependent improvement in speed of responding during Serial Threes following Ginkgo biloba. Different doses of Ginseng improved accuracy and slowed responses during Serial Sevens. The most striking result, however, was a highly significant and sustained increase in the number of Serial Sevens responses following 320 mg of the Ginkgo-Ginseng combination at all post-treatment testing times. This was accompanied by improved accuracy during Serial Sevens and Serial Threes following the 640 mg and the 960 mg dose, respectively. The paper concludes with speculation into the possible mechanisms underlying these effects.
Publication type: Journal article
Source: Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental, Vol. 17, no. 1 (Jan 2002), pp. 35-44
Publication year: 2002
Keyword(s): Accuracy; Arithmetic; Cognition; Cognitive load; Demand; Double-blind method; Drug dose-response relationship; Drug effect; Ginkgo biloba; Ginkgo biloba extract; Ginseng; Ginseng extract; Herb-drug interactions; Mathematical computing; Mathematics; Mental performance; Mental task; Nootropic agents; Panax; Plant extracts; Procaine; Psychomotor performance; Task performance; Verbal memory
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISSN: 0885-6222
Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/hup.352
Copyright: Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Publisher does not officially support author/institution self-archiving of either the postprint (final, revised accepted draft) or published version of full text.
Peer reviewed