Gincosan (A Combination of Ginkgo biloba and Panax ginseng ): The Effects on Mood and Cognition of 6 and 12 Weeks' Treatment in Post-menopausal Women

Abstract

As memory and concentration impairments are a frequent complaint in post-menopausal women, this well-defined population was selected to investigate the effect on mood and cognition of chronic treatment with Gincosan. In a double-blind placebo controlled study, post-menopausal women aged 51-66 were randomly assigned to 12 weeks' treatment with Gincosan (320 mg/day), containing 120 mg Ginkgo biloba , and 200 mg Panax ginseng ( n =30), or matched placebo ( n =27). They were given measurements of mood, somatic anxiety, sleepiness, and menopausal symptoms and a battery of cognitive tests before treatment and after 6 and 12 weeks of treatment. There were no significant effects of Gincosan treatment on ratings of mood, bodily symptoms of somatic anxiety, menopausal symptoms, or sleepiness or on any of the cognitive measures of attention, memory or frontal lobe function. Thus, after chronic administration, Gincosan appeared to have no beneficial effects in post-menopausal women.

Keywords:

• Ginkgo biloba
• Panax ginseng
• Mood
• Sustained attention
• Episodic memory
• Frontal lobe function