A systematic review of the Ayurvedic medicinal herb Bacopa monnieri in child and adolescent populations
Kean JD, Downey LA, Stough C
Published in Complementary Therapies in Medicine
Methodology
Systematic review of clinical trials of Bacopa monnieri in children and adolescents searched to August 2015 across PubMed, Scopus, Cochrane Library and CINAHL; five studies met inclusion criteria, with effect sizes calculated for significant outcomes.
Key Findings
Consistent improvements were reported in language behaviour and several memory sub-domains, plus hyperactivity and attention-deficit domains, with small to medium effect sizes (mean d = 0.42). Only 2.3% of participants reported mild side-effects.
Conclusions
Bacopa appears safe and may modestly benefit cognition and attention in children and adolescents, but the evidence base is very small.
Limitations
Only five heterogeneous studies with no design restrictions; small samples; varied extracts and doses; publication bias likely.
Supplements Studied
Overall outcome data demonstrated small to medium effect sizes (mean d=0.42).
Related Health Concerns
Study Details
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Disclosures
Funding
Not reported
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