title: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial of the Chinese herbal medicine "ba wei di huang wan" in the treatment of dementia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether a traditional Chinese herbal medicine, ba wei di huang wan (BDW), improves cognitive and physical functioning in dementia patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  An 8-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Long-term-care facility in Japan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three patients with mild to severe dementia (7 men and 26 women; mean age +/- standard deviation=84.4 +/- 7.8) were recruited and enrolled from May 2002 through September 2002.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were randomly assigned to the active drug (BDW) group (n=16) or the placebo group (n=17) and treated for 8 weeks.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cognitive function and activities of daily living (ADLs); palsatility index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  After the trial, cognitive function as assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) significantly improved from 13.5 +/- 8.5 to 16.3 +/- 7.7 (P<.01, 95% confidence interval (CI)=-4.1 to -1.4) in the BDW group. The ADL score in the Barthel Index also significantly changed, from 61.8 +/- 34.6 to 78.9 +/- 21.1 (P<.01, 95% CI=-26.2 to -7.9). In contrast, MMSE and Barthel Index scores of the placebo group showed no significant change. Eight weeks after the end of the administration, MMSE and Barthel Index scores of the BDW group declined to the baseline level. The pulsatility index in the internal carotid artery as measured using Doppler sonography significantly decreased in the BDW group (2.5 +/- 1.7 to 1.9 +/- 0.5, P<.05) but not in the placebo group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results argue the benefits of BDW in the treatment of dementia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric and Complementary Medicine (Advanced Research Center for Asian Traditional Medicine), Tohoku University, School of Medicine, Sendai, Japan. QFG03604@nifty.ni.jp
authors.forename: Koh
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Iwasaki
authors.forename: Seiichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chimura
authors.forename: Mayumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Taguchi
authors.forename: Kazumi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inoue
authors.forename: Shigehumi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Akiba
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Arai
authors.forename: Jong-Chol
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Cyong
authors.forename: Hidetada
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sasaki
mesh_terms: D000203:Activities of Daily Living; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000187:drug effects; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011673:Pulsatile Flow / Q000187:drug effects; D018401:Sample Size; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal; C054591:hachimijiogan