Ginkgo Extract May Combat Dementia

Neural stem cells proliferate in the subventricular zone and hippocampal dentate gyrus of adult mammals.  Because the number of endogenous neural stem cells is insufficient to prevent cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injuries such as vascular dementia, the stimulation of endogenous neural stem cell proliferation and differentiation may prove beneficial. Yuliang Wang, from Weifang Medical University (China), and colleagues studied the effects of the ginkgo biloba extract EGb761 on proliferation of neural stem cells in the subventricular zone and dentate gyrus of rats with vascular dementia. The team found that EGb761 promoted and prolonged the proliferation of neural stem cells in the subventricular zone and dentate gyrus areas, and the cells continued to proliferate at 4 months. EGb761 also significantly improved learning and memory in rats with vascular dementia.