Supplement
Polygala tenuifolia is a plant whose root has long been used in traditional Chinese herbal medicine, and its compounds are thought to influence nerve cells. People look at it for thinking skills with age, and the evidence is limited: one small trial of 106 older adults found cognitive decline improved. A separate study in 53 healthy people found no clear difference in memory, so the picture rests on very few, small trials.
Sources: PMID 19699261; PMID 19429065
- Updated
- How we grade
- 2 studies cited
- Best evidence
- Grade C
- Conditions studied
- 3
- Outcomes
- 9
- Graded outcomes
- 0022
Evidence by condition
- Strong
- Moderate
- Limited
- Very limited
Age Associated Memory Impairment And Cognitive Decline Aamcd
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Decline Small Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 1 study | 106 people | ||
Studies that measured cognitive decline | ||||||
| Memory No effect | NoneNo effect | 1 study | 53 people | |||
Studies that measured memory | ||||||
| Verbal Fluency | Improves (the measure goes up) | 53 people | ||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Decline Small Improvement | Improves (the measure goes down) | Small effect | 1 study | 53 people | ||
Studies that measured cognitive decline | ||||||
| Memory | Improves (the measure goes up) | 1 study | 53 people | |||
Studies that measured memory | ||||||
| Verbal Fluency | Improves (the measure goes up) | 53 people | ||||
| Grade | Outcome | Effect | Size | Studies | People | Studies list |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Memory No effect | NoneNo effect | 1 study | 48 people | |||
Studies that measured memory | ||||||
| Spatial Processing | Improves (the measure goes up) | 48 people | ||||
| Working Memory | Improves (the measure goes up) | 48 people | ||||
Key findings
- Cognitive DeclineImproves (the measure goes down)
- Memory
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- Grade C
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Studies cited
2 studies from PubMed