TOPLINE:
Ginkgo biloba, a plant extract commonly used in traditional medicine, has shown promise in previous studies when used alongside antidementia medications. However, a new study revealed that Ginkgo biloba monotherapy was associated with improved cognition, better daily functioning, and reduced plasma amyloid beta (Aβ) levels in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) compared to standard cognitive enhancers. Furthermore, none of the Ginkgo-treated patients converted to Alzheimer’s disease (AD) dementia during the study period.

METHODOLOGY:
This retrospective cohort study was conducted in South Korea and included patients with amyloid PET-positive MCI. Of the 64 participants, 42 received Ginkgo biloba (240 mg/d orally), while 22 were treated with standard cognitive enhancers, including choline precursors and omega-3 fatty acid supplements. Neither group received adjunctive antidementia medications, and all patients were followed for 12 months.

Data were gathered from the Soonchunhyang Dementia Registry. Key measures included:

• The Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE) for assessing global cognitive function.

• The Clinical Dementia Rating-Sum of Boxes (CDR-SB) for evaluating multidomain cognitive and functional abilities.

• The Korean Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (K-IADL), where higher scores indicate greater impairment.

Plasma Multimer Detection System-Oligomeric Aβ (MDS-OAβ) levels were measured at baseline and after 12 months to evaluate Aβ “oligomerization tendency,” which reflects the propensity of the proteins to aggregate into small clusters.