title: Chronic effects of Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) on human memory.
abstract: A study is reported on the effects of Brahmi (Bacopa monniera) on human memory. Seventy-six adults aged between 40 and 65 years took part in a double-blind randomized, placebo control study in which various memory functions were tested and levels of anxiety measured. There were three testing sessions: one prior to the trial, one after three months on the trial, and one six weeks after the completion of the trial. The results show a significant effect of the Brahmi on a test for the retention of new information. Follow-up tests showed that the rate of learning was unaffected, suggesting that Brahmi decreases the rate of forgetting of newly acquired information. Tasks assessing attention, verbal and visual short-term memory and the retrieval of pre-experimental knowledge were unaffected. Questionnaire measures of everyday memory function and anxiety levels were also unaffected.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Wollongong, Woolongong, Australia. steven_roodenrys@uow.edu.au
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Roodenrys
authors.forename: Dianne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Booth
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bulzomi
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Phipps
authors.forename: Caroline
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Micallef
authors.forename: Jaclyn
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Smoker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008515:Medicine, Ayurvedic; D008568:Memory / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D008569:Memory Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000523:psychology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D008517:Phytotherapy; D028321:Plant Preparations / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D028321:Plant Preparations