Ginkgo Biloba Research Today is a free monthly online journal that collates and summarizes the latest research about Ginkgo Biloba, including details on ginkgo biloba, herbal remedies, side effects, benefits.

Ginkgo biloba in dyslexia: A pilot study.

Donfrancesco R, Ferrante L

Department of Child Neuropsychiatry, La Scarpetta Hospital, Piazza Castellani 23, 00151 Rome, Italy.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to collect preliminary information on the possible efficacy and tolerability of EGb 761 standardized plant extract of Ginkgo biloba as a treatment of dyslexia in school-aged children. METHODS: Fifteen children (5-16 year old) with dyslexia participated in an open-label trial of EGb 761 given as a single morning dose of 80mg. Standardized tests for dyslexia were administered at baseline and at the end of the study. RESULTS: All 15 children completed the trial. The score of the standardized tests for dyslexia decreased. On the list of words the score decreased from mean 4.33 (SD=2.37) at baseline to 2.66 (SD=1.58) at the end of the study (p<0.01), on the list of non-words from mean 3.39 (SD=1.5) at baseline to 2.26 (SD=0.92) at the end of the study (p<0.02) and on the reading piece from mean 3.52 (SD=2.11) to 2.13 (SD=1.25); at the end of the study (p<0.05). At the end of the study 9 children did not perform below the -2 SD on the list of words and 7 on reading text and so they no longer fulfilled the DSM-IV-TR criteria for dyslexia. A brief period of headache was reported by the parents of two children. CONCLUSION: These data suggest that EGb 761 standardized plant extract of Ginkgo biloba has acceptable acute tolerability at single doses up to 80mg/day and is possibly efficacious in decreasing dyslexia difficulties. The need for a double-blind trial is discussed by the authors.

Published 4 June 2007 in Phytomedicine, 14(6): 367-70.
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