Huperzine A in the Treatment of Alzheimer′s Disease and Vascular Dementia: A Meta‐Analysis

Abstract

The objective of our study was to perform an updated meta-analysis of placebo-controlled RCTs of Huperzine A (Hup A) on patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD), in order to provide the basis and reference for clinical rational drug use. The primary outcome measures assessed were minimental state examination (MMSE) and activities of daily living scale (ADL). Eight AD trials with 733 participants and two VD trials with 92 participants that met our inclusion criteria were identified. The results showed that Hup A could significantly improve the MMSE and ADL score of AD and VD patients, and longer durations would result in better efficacy for the patients with AD. It seemed that there was significant improvement of cognitive function measured by memory quotient (MQ) in patients with AD. Most adverse effects in AD were generally of mild to moderate severity and transient. Compared to the patients with AD, Hup A may offer fewer side effects for participants with VD in this study. Therefore, Hup A is a well-tolerated drug that could significantly improve cognitive performance in patients with AD or VD, but we need to use it with caution in the clinical treatment.

Herbal Medicine for the Treatment of Vascular Dementia: An Overview of Scientific Evidence

“…A subsequent meta-analysis of placebo-controlled RCTs of HupA on patients with AD and VaD identified eight AD and two VaD trials with 733 and 92 participants, respectively [38]. HupA treatment (100–500  μ g/day) was shown to significantly improve the MMSE and ADL scores of AD and VaD patients, and longer treatment duration resulted in improved efficacy for AD patients.…”

Vascular Contributions to Cognitive Impairment and Treatments with Traditional Chinese Medicine

“…An alkaloid isolated from the Chinese herb Huperzia serrata , Huperzine A, is a natural cholinesterase inhibitor that selectively inhibits acetylcholinesterase activity and increases acetylcholine levels in brain, thereby improving cognitive functions in patients with dementia [55]. In fact, Huperzine A has been used for treating AD and mild memory deficits since 1994 in the China [55, 56].…”

“…In fact, Huperzine A has been used for treating AD and mild memory deficits since 1994 in the China [55, 56]. In a randomized, double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial with the participation of 78 patients who have mild to moderate VaD, Huperzine A treatment significantly improved the cognitive functions in these patients [57].…”

Adjunctive huperzine A for cognitive deficits in schizophrenia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors (e.g., donepezil (Friedman et al, 2002), rivastigmine (Sharma et al, 2006), and galantamine (Buchanan et al, 2008)) have been thought to be an effective strategy in treating cognitive impairment in subjects with Alzheimer's disease (Giacobini, 1998;Francis et al, 1999;Ferreri et al, 2006) and schizophrenia (Ferreri et al, 2006;Voss et al, 2008;Patel et al, 2010a 2010b; Choi et al, 2013). Huperzine A (HupA), as a novel Lycopodium alkaloid isolated from Chinese folk medicine Huperzine serrata, is also a powerful, highly specific, and reversible inhibitor of AChE (Zhang and Tang, 2006;Ma et al, 2007;Xing et al, 2014). Open-label trials (Fang et al, 2002;Chen, 2007;Zhang et al, 2007) indicated that HupA augmentation might be beneficial in improving cognitive function.…”