Cognition enhancing effect of panax ginseng in Korean volunteers with mild cognitive impairment: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial

This study aimed to investigate the cognition-enhancing effect of Panax ginseng. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial was conducted to address the cognition-enhancing effects of Panax ginseng. A total of 90 Korean volunteers with mild cognitive impairment participated in this study. All subjects were allocated randomly into ‘Ginseng’ group or ‘Placebo’ group. All subjects were administered 3g of Panax ginseng powder or starch (placebo) for 6 months. The Korean version of the Mini-Mental Status Examination (K-MMSE), Korean version of Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (K-IADL), and Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery (SNSB) were used to assess the changes in cognitive function at the end of the 6 month study period. The subjects of the ‘Ginseng’ group improved significantly on the Rey Complex Figure Test (RCFT) immediate recall (P = 0.0405 and P = 0.0342 in per-protocol (PP) and intention-to-treat (ITT) analysis, respectively) and on the RCFT 20-min delayed recall (P = 0.0396 and P = 0.0355 in PP and ITT analysis, respectively) compared with ‘placebo’ group throughout the 6 months of Panax ginseng administration. There were no serious adverse events. These results suggest that Panax ginseng has a cognition-enhancing effect.