Ginkgo biloba for Improvement of Memory and Quality of Life in Multiple Sclerosis: an Open Trial

Background: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic demyelinating disease that can affect cognitive function. The purpose of this study was to assess the efficacy of Ginkgo biloba (GB) on improvement of memory impairment and quality of life in patients with MS. Methods: This study was an 8-week, open study of patients with MS. Thirty patients was recruited from a variety of outpatient settings. All participants met McDonaldʹs diagnostic criteria for MS and had Wechsler score of < 80. All subjects received Ginkgo 240 mg/day, TDS except one that received 120 mg/day, TDS due to history of gastritis Participants were assessed by Wechsler memory scale, MSIS-29 test and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) which measure memory, quality of life and depression respectively at baseline and after 8 weeks of treatment. Results: Administration of Ginkgo significantly improved Wechsler and MSIS-29 scores. Subjects who were less impaired at baseline on the Wechsler test experienced more improvement with GB. Conclusion: The present study indicates Ginkgo biloba as a very well tolerated medication for improvement of cognitive impairments in people suffering from MS.