title: The effect of NaO Li Su on memory functions and blood chemistry in elderly people.
abstract: In traditional Chinese medicine a mixture of bee pollen, radix polygoni multiflore, semen ziziphi spinosae, radix salviae multiorhizae, fructus schisandrae and fructus ligustris lucidae, known as NaO Li Su, has a reputation as a remedy against declining memory functions. In the present study the effect of the preparation on failing memory was assessed in 100 elderly Danish volunteers who complained of a deteriorating memory. The study was a double-blind placebo controlled cross-over trial. The effect was evaluated after treatment periods of 3 months' duration by a battery of psychological and biochemical tests. No desirable effects on memory functions were achieved by the active treatment. Increases in the number of red blood cells and in the serum creatinine levels were seen after active treatment. In the subgroup initially showing a number of red blood cells below the median a significant positive correlation was found between changes in the number of red blood cells and changes in the Wechsler Memory Scale scores.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychiatric Hospital, Denmark.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iversen
authors.forename: K M
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Fiirgaard
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schriver
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Rasmussen
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Andreasen
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000375:Aging / Q000473:pathology; D001774:Blood Chemical Analysis; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003718:Denmark; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004906:Erythrocyte Count / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011581:Psychological Tests; D014888:Wechsler Scales / Q000592:standards
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; D010936:Plant Extracts; D003404:Creatinine