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Ginkgo for elderly people with dementia and age-associated memory impairment: a randomized clinical trial
van Dongen M, van Rossum E, Kessels A, Sielhorst H, Knipschild P.. Journal of clinical epidemiology, 2003-04-01
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Preparations based on special extracts of the Ginkgo biloba tree are popular in various European countries. Previous studies have suggested the clinical efficacy of Ginkgo in patients with dementia, cerebral insufficiency, or related cognitive decline. However, most of these studies did not fulfill the current methodologic requirements. We assessed the efficacy of the G. biloba special extract EGb 761 in patients with dementia and age-associated memory impairment in relation to dose and duration of treatment. Our study was a 24-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multicenter trial. Study participants were elderly patients with dementia (Alzheimer disease or vascular dementia) or age-associated memory impairment (AAMI). A total of 214 participants, recruited from 39 homes for the elderly in the Netherlands, were randomly allocated to Ginkgo (either 240 mg/d or 160 mg/d) or placebo (0 mg/d). After 12 weeks, the subjects in the two Ginkgo groups were randomized to continued Ginkgo treatment or placebo treatment. Primary outcome measures in this study were the Syndrome Kurz Test (SKT; psychometric functioning), the Clinical Global Impression of change (CGI-2; psychopathology, assessed by nursing staff), and the Nuremberg Gerontopsychological Rating Scale for Activities of Daily Living (NAI-NAA; behavioral functioning). One hundred twenty-three patients received Ginkgo (n=79, 240 and 160 mg/d combined) or placebo (n=44) during the 24-week intervention period. We found no statistically significant differences in mean change of scores between Ginkgo and placebo. The differences were SKT: +0.4 (90% confidence interval [CI] -0.9-1.7); CGI-2: +0.1 (90% CI -0.3-0.4), and NAI-NAA: -0.4 (90% CI -1.9-1.2). A positive difference is in favor of Ginkgo. Neither the dementia subgroup (n=36) nor the AAMI subgroup (n=87) experienced a significant effect of Ginkgo treatment. There was no dose-effect relationship and no effect of prolonged Ginkgo treatment. The trial results do not support the view that Ginkgo is beneficial for patients with dementia or age-associated memory impairment.
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APA 7th
van Dongen, M., van Rossum, E., Kessels, A., Sielhorst, H., & Knipschild, P. (2003). Ginkgo for elderly people with dementia and age-associated memory impairment: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of clinical epidemiology. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0895-4356(03)00003-9
Vancouver
van Dongen M, van Rossum E, Kessels A, Sielhorst H, Knipschild P. Ginkgo for elderly people with dementia and age-associated memory impairment: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of clinical epidemiology. 2003. doi:10.1016/s0895-4356(03)00003-9. PMID: 12767414.
BibTeX
@article{vandongen2003-12767414,
author = {van Dongen, M. and van Rossum, E. and Kessels, A. and Sielhorst, H. and Knipschild, P.},
title = {{Ginkgo for elderly people with dementia and age-associated memory impairment: a randomized clinical trial}},
journal = {Journal of clinical epidemiology},
year = {2003},
doi = {10.1016/s0895-4356(03)00003-9},
pmid = {12767414},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/s0895-4356(03)00003-9}
}
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Key findings
- We found no statistically significant differences in mean change of scores between Ginkgo and placebo.
- Neither the dementia subgroup (n=36) nor the AAMI subgroup (n=87) experienced a significant effect of Ginkgo treatment.
- The trial results do not support the view that Ginkgo is beneficial for patients with dementia or age-associated memory impairment.
Why it matters
In this 24-week trial of 214 elderly patients with dementia or age-associated memory impairment, Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 showed no significant difference from placebo on any outcome measure. Neither the dementia subgroup nor the memory impairment subgroup experienced significant benefit, so the results do not support using Ginkgo for these conditions.
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Study details
- Participants79
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 66/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it. We have no data on senior author's track record, so that was left out: it earned 63 of the 96 points we could judge it on, which is 66 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of clinical epidemiology) |
| Journal's citation record | 3 / 4 | Journal of Clinical Epidemiology: journal h-index 339 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2003 — older than 20 years, still counted |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 79 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 2 / 2 | Randomised and blinded or placebo-controlled (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 155 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 2 / 5 | 6.2 citations a year over 25 year(s) since 2003 |
| Impact for its field and year | 5 / 6 | Cited 34.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 6 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 1 / 4 | Cited 7 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | OpenAlex's profile for last-listed author Martien C van Dongen holds only 2 work(s), too few to judge a track record — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Maastricht University: institution h-index 876 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | PubMed indexes it as a multicentre study |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 12767414) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 63 / 96 | Scored on 19 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 63 of the 96 points we could judge it on is 66 out of 100. |
| Total | 66 / 100 | — |
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