Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Clinical Trial
. 2018 Sep;97(39):e12421.
doi: 10.1097/MD.0000000000012421.

Role of Ginkgo biloba extract as an adjunctive treatment of elderly patients with depression and on the expression of serum S100B

Chun-Xiao Dai  1 , Chang-Chun Hu, Yu-Shan Shang, Jian Xie
Affiliations
Clinical Trial

Role of Ginkgo biloba extract as an adjunctive treatment of elderly patients with depression and on the expression of serum S100B

Chun-Xiao Dai et al. Medicine (Baltimore). 2018 Sep.

Abstract

Objective: To explore the effect of ginkgo biloba extract (EGb) as an adjunctive treatment of elderly patients with depression and the effect on the expression of serum S100B.

Methods: 136 elderly patients with depression were divided into EGb + citalopram (Cit) group and Cit group equally. Efficacy was evaluated by Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HAMD). Wisconsin Card Classification Test (WCST) was used to evaluate cognitive function. Serum S100B expression was measured with ELISA. The relationship of S100B with HAMD, Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA) score, and WCST results was evaluated subsequently.

Results: The time of onset of efficacy was significantly shorter in EGb + Cit group. There were significant differences in HAMD and HAMA scores after treatment than before treatment between groups (all P < .05). After treatment, total number of WCST test, the number of continuous errors and non-persistent errors in both groups were less than those before treatment. The correct number and classifications number were increased than before treatment. In EGb + Cit group, correct numbers and classifications were increased, and the number of persistent errors was decreased. After treatment, S100B level was decreased, and S100B levels change in EGb + Cit group was greater than in Cit group. Serum S100B level was positively correlated with HAMD and HAMA scores before treatment and positively correlated with persistent errors number in WCST.

Conclusion: EGb, as an adjunctive treatment, can effectively improve depressive symptoms and reduce expression of serum S100B, which is a marker of brain injury, suggesting that EGb restores neurologic function during the treatment of depression in elderly patients and S100B participates in the therapeutic mechanism. EGb combined with depressive drugs plays synergistic role, and the time of onset of efficacy is faster than single antidepressants.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Comparison of the time of onset of efficacy between groups.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Detection and analysis of the level of S100B protein before and after treatment in 2 groups.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Anyfanti P, Gavriilaki E, Pyrpasopoulou A, et al. Depression, anxiety, and quality of life in a large cohort of patients with rheumatic diseases: common, yet undertreated. Clin Rheumatol 2016;35:733–9. - PubMed
    1. Cozzolongo R, Porcelli P, Cariola F, et al. Serotonin gene polymorphisms and lifetime mood disorders in predicting interferon-induced depression in chronic hepatitis C. J Affect Disord 2015;183:90–7. - PubMed
    1. Aalbers S, Fusar-Poli L, Freeman RE, et al. Music therapy for depression. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2017;11:CD004517. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Wang C, Guo J, Guo R. Effect of XingPiJieYu decoction on spatial learning and memory and cAMP-PKA-CREB-BDNF pathway in rat model of depression through chronic unpredictable stress. BMC Complement Altern Med 2017;17:73. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Farb NA, Irving JA, Anderson AK, et al. A two-factor model of relapse/recurrence vulnerability in unipolar depression. J Abnorm Psychol 2015;124:38–53. - PMC - PubMed

MeSH terms