Can Ginkgo Biloba help preserve my mother’s memory? Did I inherit the “Alzheimer’s” gene from my grandfather? Dr. Peter. V. Rabins, professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins, provides the answers.
Ginkgo Biloba and Alzheimer’s Disease
Q. My mother is 74 and was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease two years ago. She has been taking Aricept and aspirin, which worked for a while, but lately she forgets where she is and even has to be reminded of her own name. I’ve always doubted the effectiveness of herbal medicine, but a coworker whose father also battled Alzheimer’s disease swears that ginkgo biloba really works. Because of her recommendation, I’m planning to add ginkgo biloba to my mother’s daily pill regimen. Is there any proof of ginkgo biloba’s effectiveness? Will it at least “do no harm” if combined with the aspirin and Aricept my mother is already taking?
A. Ginkgo biloba is one of the oldest living tree species, dating back over 300 million years. Extracts of the fruit and leaves of the ginkgo tree have been used in China for thousands of years to treat a variety of ailments, including cardiovascular disease and asthma. More recently, scientists have been studying ginkgo biloba extracts as a treatment for cognition problems and hardening of the arteries. However, only one well-designed study has demonstrated any efficacy of ginkgo biloba for memory enhancement, and that benefit was very modest -- those taking ginkgo biloba scored one point better on a test of cognition after one year than those who took a placebo (sugar pill). Furthermore, many other studies have shown no benefit from ginkgo biloba. Some might worry that aspirin increases the risk of bleeding when taken along with ginkgo biloba; while there is little risk of harm unless your mother has a bleeding disorder, based on the data available at this time I do not recommend ginkgo biloba.
Genetic Link and Alzheimer’s Disease
Q. I am a 47-year-old woman. My maternal grandfather died of Alzheimer’s disease when he was only in his early 60s. My father died young of a heart attack, but my mother is 78 years old and healthy. Lately I have been having trouble recalling names on the spot, which can be embarrassing. For instance, during a recent business meeting I attempted to introduce a colleague I have known for ten years and completely forgot his name.
I’m not sure if what I am experiencing is the normal course of aging, some form of mild cognitive impairment, or the beginning stages of Alzheimer’s disease -- or if I’m magnifying or even imagining the entire problem. Can you could help me understand my symptoms, and offer some advice concerning the next steps I should take -- if any.
A. These symptoms could well be the result of what is referred to as “normal aging” (recall of names and words does become more difficult as we age), especially if you eventually remember the person’s name or the word. On the other hand, there is a very small likelihood that this is the beginning of something more serious. I suggest talking with your doctor about the problem, making sure that you are not suffering from depression or some medical illness that is interfering with concentration and memory. In my opinion, neuropsychological testing is currently the best way to distinguish abnormal cognitive performance, including memory impairment, from expected age-associated changes. No blood or imaging tests are as accurate, but this may change in the future.
