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For a number of years, people have been using ginkgo for depression related illnesses. Many depressive symptoms overlap with symptoms of cerebral insufficiency, which may suggest the use of Ginkgo for depression. However, research has shown that ginkgo may actually have no effect on depressive symptoms. The earliest trial of ginkgo for depression examined its potential to prevent the onset of seasonal affective disorder (SAD). A total of 27 patients were randomly assigned to receive either ginkgo extract or placebo. After 10 weeks of treatment, there was no significant differences between the two groups on a depression scale or in the number who required treatment for depression. This seems to be the only randomized controlled trial done to investigate Ginkgo for the use of depression. Another study examined the impact of ginkgo on mood. It assigned 31 postmenopausal women to 7 days of either 120 mg/d ginkgo extract or placebo. At the end of the trial, some significant differences were found in tests of memory and attention, but there was no significant difference in mood between the two groups. A study in 2001 investigated the usefulness of ginkgo to relieve sleep disturbances often associated with depression. This study was conducted on patients who were already undergoing therapy with a standard antidepressant medication. In this study, 16 patients were treated with trimipramine for 6 weeks. Half of these patients also received ginkgo therapy for an additional four, while the other patients remained on monotherapy. This study showed improved EEG sleep pattern in patients taking ginkgo, including improved deep (non-REM) sleep. This study, while small, concluded that ginkgo may provide an additional treatment strategy in those with depression and additional sleep disturbance. Overall, although many individuals still use ginkgo to relieve depressive symptoms, there is no supportive evidence that ginkgo is helpful for depression. |