Researchers use herb for stroke recovery

BEIJING, Dec 19 (BBC): A study claims that the popular herbal extract ginkgo biloba may help the brain recover after a stroke.
The herbal remedy, available in health food shops and some pharmacies in the UK, is used in China to aid memory and fight depression.
In a trial of 330 stroke patients over six months in China, the supplement was linked with better cognitive skill scores on tests.
Experts say the evidence for ginkgo is too weak to recommend it.
Those behind the small study - published in the online journal Stroke & Vascular Neurology - admit that larger, longer and more robust trials are needed.
It was carried out by Nanjing University Medical School, with patients from five Chinese hospitals.
All 330 participants began the trial within a week of having an ischaemic stroke. The average age of the patients was 64.
Roughly half of them were given 450mg of ginkgo biloba daily, in addition to 100mg of aspirin, while the remainder were given only the aspirin.
During a stroke, the blood supplying vital parts of the brain is interrupted, often leading to impaired memory and a decline in organisational and reasoning skills among stroke survivors.
Researchers wanted to see if combining ginkgo biloba with aspirin might help lessen or halt the cognitive decline.
Previous experimental studies in animals have suggested that ginkgo biloba protects against the nerve cell death associated with blood clots in the brain, possibly by increasing blood flow in the cerebral arteries.