The Brahmi Army-KeenMind CDRI 08 delegation sent to India |
| Mar 23 2011 |
Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India: A Satellite Symposium on ‘Brain Ageing and Dementia: Basic and Translational Aspects’ acted as the platform for the international neuroscience research community to discuss age related dementia and neurodegenerative disorders. The symposium was organised by the Federation of Asian-Oceanian Neuroscience Societies (FAONS) and the Indian Academy of Neurosciences (IAN).
An international delegation composed of key supporters of KeenMind®, the Bacopa monnieri (Brahmi) extract, made their way to Varanasi after another important meeting at the Central Drug Research Institute (CDRI). This was the very institute where KeenMind began its journey from ‘seed to patient’ in the early 60s. The ‘Brahmi Army’ included Prof Con Stough (Swinburne University, Australia), Prof Hemant Singh (CDRI, India) and Andre Zangara (Soho Flordis International).
Prof Stough presented the ‘Systematic review of the cognitive enhancing effects of Bacopa monnieri extract in humans’. The review of available literature included two chronic and two acute studies conducted at Swinburne, covering approximately 200 participants, 18-70 years.The systematic review by Prof Stough indicated that of nine clinical double-blind, placebo-controlled trials in humans, eight of these have shown that chronic and acute administration of Bacopa extract may improve cognitive functioning - the greatest efficacy shown with CDRI 08 extract. Some of these studies have documented an anxiolytic or improved mood effect.
Prof Singh (CDRI, India) in his energetic lecture, 'The unique features of the effects of bacosides enriched standardised extract of Bacopa monnieri (CDRI 08) on learning and memory', summarised the important role of the plant in Ayurveda, and then went on to present the pre-clinical studies and the clinical trials substantiating the claims of KeenMind.
Andre Zangara in ‘Issues and challenges in developing, testing and bringing to market natural cognitive enhancers and possible role in preserving cognitive function’ concluded that cognitive enhancers such as Bacopa monnieri might have a role in reducing the progression of Alzheimer’s. Furthermore, as dementia is multi-factorial, an approach that does more than one thing is better than a single action focus. Therefore suggesting a future role for ‘optimised extracts’ and ‘phytocomplexes’.
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