Ginkgo leaf may improve early cognitive recovery after stroke: study

BEIJING -- A study conducted in China has shown that the herb extracted from the dried leaves and seeds of the ginkgo tree could improve early cognitive recovery after stroke.

The researchers, led by those from the Beijing Tiantan Hospital, have found in a multi-center clinical trial in China that people with clot-caused stroke had better early recovery of cognitive functions if treated with intravenous injections of a combination of biologically active components of Ginkgo biloba during the first two weeks after the stroke.

The preliminary study was presented recently at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2024.

The researchers analyzed the cognitive recovery of 3,163 stroke survivors treated for mild to moderate ischemic stroke in China.

By Day 90, according to the study, those who received the compound injections had more improved cognitive scores than those who received the placebo.

The ginkgo tree, one of the oldest living tree species and native to East Asia, is widely used in traditional Chinese medicine.

Since the follow-up time in this study was only 90 days, the longer-term effect requires longer-term research, said the researchers.