Bacopa and Memory Research

A 2001 double blind, placebo controlled study by Nathan, Clarke and Lloyd, et al. gave a single dose of 300 mg Bacopa monniera extract (standardized to 55-percent combined bacosides A and B) or placebo to 38 healthy male volunteers,between the ages of 18 and 60. Subjects were tested two hours after administration. No significant changes in cognitive function were exhibited in comparison to baseline values (Nathan PJ, Clarke J, Lloyd J, et al. The acute effects of an extract of Bacopa monniera (Brahmi) on cognitive function in healthy normal subjects. Hum Psychopharmacol 2001;16:345-351). However, another study, by the same researchers, showed significant cognitive gains when the administration of Bacopa monniera extract was continued over a 12 wek period. 46 volunteers were divided into treatment and placebo groups and tested at baseline and again after 5 and 12 weeks. After 12 weeks, significant improvments were noted in the treatment group in terms of verbal learning, memory consolidation, and speed of early information processing. No gains were evident after 5 weeks ( Stough C, Lloyd J, Clarke J, et al. The chronic effects of an extract of Bacopa monniera (Brahmi) on cognitive function in healthy human subjects. Psychopharmacology 2001;156:481-484).

In 1987, a study was conducted in India by Sharma, Chaturvedi and Tewari to evaluate the cognitive effect of bacopa monniera on children. The study involved 40 children ,divided into treatment and placebo groups. The treatment group received one teaspoonful of Bacopa syrup three times per day for three months. The placebo group were given syrup simplex. At the end of the trial the groups were measured for cognitive enhancement. The treatment group had significant improvements exploratory drive, perceptual images of patterns, and perceptual organization and reasoning ability (as measured by reaction time). (Sharma R, Chaturvedi C, Tewari PV. Efficacy of Bacopa monnieri in revitalizing intellectual functions in children. J Res Edu Indian Med 1987;Jan-June:1-12)

In 2000, Negi, Singh and Kushwaha , conducted a study involving 36 children with diagnosed attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. 19 of the children were given 50 mg of Bacopa extract (standardized to contain 20-percent bacosides) twice daily for 12 weeks. The remaining 17 childen were given a placebo. All children were given a final four weeks of placebo treatment. The treatment group exhibited a marked improvement in sentence repetition, logical memory, and paired associate learning tasks after 12 weeks and managed to maintain these gains at 16 weeks (Negi KS, Singh YD, Kushwaha KP, et al. Clinical evaluation of memory enhancing properties of Memory Plus in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. Ind J Psychiatry 2000;42:Supplement).