ArticleCureus2026
Comparison of the Safety and Efficacy of Oral L-arginine for the Treatment of Cognitive Impairment in Older Adults: A Prospective, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Pilot Study.
Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background Cognitive impairment (mild cognitive impairment and early dementia) is a growing concern with limited therapeutic options. L-arginine, a semi-essential amino acid and precursor of nitric oxide, has shown neuroprotective effects in animal studies, but human trials, particularly in India, are lacking. This pilot study aimed to assess the safety and efficacy of oral L-arginine in elderly patients with cognitive impairment. Methodology This was a prospective, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot study conducted at a tertiary care hospital in North India. Sixty-six subjects aged ≥60 years with subjective cognitive complaints were screened using the Hindi version of Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination III (ACE-III); those scoring ≤82 were included after excluding reversible causes, including low vitamin B12 levels and abnormal thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) levels, coronary artery disease (CAD), and substance use. Thirty-eight participants were randomized to receive either oral L-arginine 6.4 g/day or a matching placebo for 30 days. Cognitive function was reassessed post-intervention using ACE-III. Adverse effects and tolerability were recorded. Results Thirty-five subjects completed the study (16 L-arginine and 19 placebo). Baseline characteristics were comparable between groups. After 30 days, the L-arginine group showed statistically significant within-group improvements in attention (p=0.018), memory (p<0.001), and language (p=0.017) domains, while the placebo group improved only in memory (p=0.003). Between-group comparison showed that significantly more patients in the L-arginine group achieved normal ACE-III scores (>82) compared to placebo (37.5% vs. 5.3%, p=0.032). Adverse effects leading to withdrawal in the L-arginine group included thyroid dysfunction (one participant), nausea/diarrhea (one participant), and bitter taste (one participant); no withdrawals occurred in the placebo group (p=0.353). Conclusions Oral L-arginine (6.4 g/day for 30 days) appears safe and improves attention, memory, and language domains in elderly patients with cognitive impairment. Larger, longer-term trials are warranted to confirm these findings and assess progression to dementia.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.