Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42100836›Full record

ReviewActa neuropsychiatrica2026

A comprehensive systematic review of human trials investigating herbal treatments for Alzheimer's disease and dementia.

Katarzyna A Kaczmarek-Kryszak, Małgorzata Dobrzyńska, Michalina Banaszak, Sławomira Drzymała-Czyż

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Acta neuropsychiatrica, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

Katarzyna A Kaczmarek-KryszakPoznan University of Medical Sciences, Department of Bromatology, Rokietnicka 3 Street, 60-806 Poznan, Poland.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0009-9329-6317
Małgorzata DobrzyńskaPoznan University of Medical Sciences, Department of Bromatology, Rokietnicka 3 Street, 60-806 Poznan, Poland.
Michalina BanaszakPoznan University of Medical Sciences, Department of Bromatology, Rokietnicka 3 Street, 60-806 Poznan, Poland.
Sławomira Drzymała-CzyżPoznan University of Medical Sciences, Department of Bromatology, Rokietnicka 3 Street, 60-806 Poznan, Poland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveDementia is a group of symptoms, characterized by a loss of cognition that interferes with everyday tasks, difficulty focusing, planning, problem solving, and behavioral changes, such as apathy, anxiety, or depression. The leading cause of dementia is Alzheimer's disease, but vascular dementia or mild cognitive impairment are also frequently occurring. There are six drugs legislated in Europe for use in the treatment of dementia. There are unmet clinical needs to find more effective, better tolerated or complementary therapeutic options. The aim of this study is to comprehensively analyze the results of clinical trials and other human studies regarding the efficacy and safety of herbal interventions used in patients with dementia.

methodsWe enrolled a total of 48 studies for this systematic review, of which 27 were included into the statistical analysis of effect size (Cohen's

resultsWe found significant improvements mainly after administration of

conclusionIn light of the evidence, phytopharmaceuticals have a promising role as a co-therapeutic option or alternative for patients with dementia who do not tolerate or have contraindications to standard medications. However, further research is necessary to translate these initial promising results into clinical practice. SUMMATIONS: Phytopharmaceuticals have a promising role as a complementary or alternative option for dementia patients who cannot tolerate or respond to standard medications. Certain phytopharmaceuticals demonstrated comparable short-term symptomatic effects to standard treatments in small trials; however, evidence is insufficient to support equivalence or superiority. CONSIDERATIONS: Many of the studies reviewed are limited by very small sample sizes, which is associated with a high risk of bias when interpreting large effect sizes (Cohen's

Indexed as

cognitionmild cognitive impairmentphytotherapytraditional chinese medicinevascular dementia

Identifiers

PMID42100836
PMCPMC13280518

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.