Cognitive Enhancing Effects of Brahmi

Prof Con Stough¹ of the Brain Sciences Institute, Swinburne University, Australia led a team of scientists to study one hundred and seven healthy participants in a double-blind placebo-controlled independent group design investigation.

Sixty-two participants completed the study with 80% treatment compliance. Neuropsychological testing using the Cognitive Drug Research cognitive assessment system was conducted at baseline and after 90 days of treatment with a special extract of Bacopa monniera (2 x 150 mg KeenMind²) or placebo.

The Bacopa monniera product significantly improved performance on the 'Working Memory' factor, more specifically spatial working memory accuracy. The number of false-positives recorded in the Rapid visual information processing task was also reduced for the Bacopa monniera group following the treatment period.

The current study provides support for the two other published studies reporting cognitive enhancing effects in healthy humans after a 90 day administration of the Bacopa monniera extract.

Further studies are required to ascertain the effective dosage range, the time required to attain therapeutic levels and the effects over a longer term of administration.

1. Stough C, Downey LA, Lloyd J, Silber B, Redman S, Hutchison C, Wesnes K, Nathan PJ. (2008) Examining the nootropic effects of a special extract of Bacopa monniera on human cognitive functioning: 90 day double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial. Phytother Res. (12):1629-34.

2. KeenMind^® is not available in Malaysia. MEMOR by Herbajules contains 68.7MG OF Bacopa monnieri whole plant extract in each capsule. It retails at RM38.80 per bottle of 60 capsules.

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