title: Electrophysiological analysis of the effects of ginkgo biloba on visual processing in older healthy adults.
abstract: Several studies have tested the efficacy of ginkgo biloba using compromised visual systems and have found improvement in vision. We measured functional changes in the visual system of older, healthy adults to see if ginkgo extract EGb 761 would increase performance in the normal visual system. Two electrophysiological measures were taken during baseline, placebo, and treatment conditions: visual evoked potentials were used to assess changes in low-level functioning of the visual pathways, and P300 recognition responses were measured to assess higher order processing. No significant effect was found in the lower level visual pathways. However, when using regression analysis across age to assess higher order functioning, an improvement was found. The results suggest that the higher order processing stages, which may be influenced by cognition, decline more rapidly than do lower level processing stages in healthy adults as a function of age, and that the use of ginkgo biloba extract may improve the functioning of this system.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Minnesota State University, Mankato, 56001, USA. jonathan.page@mnsu.edu
authors.forename: Jonathan W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Page
authors.forename: Joy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Findley
authors.forename: Michael A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Crognale
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000187:drug effects; D005074:Evoked Potentials, Visual / Q000187:drug effects*; D020441:Ginkgo biloba; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014795:Visual Pathways / Q000187:drug effects; D014796:Visual Perception / Q000187:drug effects*; D000096983:Ginkgo Extract
chemical_list: D010936:Plant Extracts; C063170:Ginkgo biloba extract; D000096983:Ginkgo Extract