title: Chinese Herbal Medicine for Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Cognitive Outcomes.
abstract: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a condition that may be prodromal to the development of dementia. There remain, as yet, no approved pharmaceutical interventions for MCI. Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) have a long history of use for cognitive impairments and some plant ingredients have shown neuroprotective actions in experimental studies. This review assesses the current clinical evidence from controlled clinical trials for the effects of CHMs on cognitive outcomes as measured by Mini-mental state examination (MMSE) or Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive subscale (ADAS-Cog). Fifty one studies (4026 participants) were included. These compared CHM with placebo, supportive care, pharmaceutical treatment or combined CHM with a pharmaceutical in an integrative setting. For the eight randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of comparisons with placebo, MMSE was significantly higher in the CHM groups (MD 1.56 [0.78, 2.34] I2= 85%, n = 503), similarly for eight RCTs of comparisons with supportive care (MD 1.77 [1.33, 2.21] I2= 0%, n = 555). Benefits were also evident in comparisons with some pharmaceuticals and with integrative treatment. The small size of most studies and methodological weaknesses mean that these results should be interpreted with caution. Further studies employing rigorous methods are required to investigate the potential benefits of these CHMs for MCI. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
authors.affiliation: The China-Australia International Research Centre for Chinese Medicine, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia.
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Dong
authors.affiliation: The China-Australia International Research Centre for Chinese Medicine, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia.
authors.forename: Brian H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: May
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Mei
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: The China-Australia International Research Centre for Chinese Medicine, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia.
authors.forename: Anna J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Hyde
authors.affiliation: The China-Australia International Research Centre for Chinese Medicine, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia.
authors.forename: Hsiewe Ying
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Xinfeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: The China-Australia International Research Centre for Chinese Medicine, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia. tony.zhang@rmit.edu.au.
authors.forename: Anthony Lin
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Chuanjian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: The China-Australia International Research Centre for Chinese Medicine, School of Health and Biomedical Sciences, RMIT University, Bundoora, VIC, 3083, Australia.|Guangdong Provincial Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences and Guangdong Provincial Hospital of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Charlie Changli
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Xue
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D060825:Cognitive Dysfunction / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003704:Dementia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D004365:Drugs, Chinese Herbal
keywords: Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive subscale; Chinese herbal medicine; Mini-mental state examination; clinical trial; meta-analysis; mild cognitive impairment; randomised controlled trial; systematic review