Focus on Alternative and Complementary Therapies
www.pharmpress.com/fact
Focus Alternat Complement Ther©2005 Pharmaceutical Press
Focus Altern Complement Ther 2002; 7: 109
Sage is widely reputed in British herbal encyclopaedias to enhance memory. However, there is little systematic evidence for its efficacy in modulating mood and cognition in healthy young adults.
This study used a placebo-controlled, double-blind, balanced crossover design. Twenty-four participants received 25 µl and 50 µl of a standardised oil extract of Salvia lavandulaefolia and vehicle (sunflower oil) alone. Doses were administered on different days, each separated by a 7-day washout period using a pseudorandom treatment order. Cognitive assessment was undertaken using the Cognitive Drug Research (CDR) computerised test battery, subjective mood ratings were measured using Bond–Lader visual analogue scales. Assessment took place immediately prior to treatment and 1 h, 2.5 h, 4 h and 6 h thereafter. The primary outcome measures were four aspects of cognitive performance derived by factor analysis of CDR subtests and three mood dimensions.
There were a number of significant effects on cognition associated with the administration of Salvia. These included a consistent dose-dependent improvement for the 50 µl dose in speed of attention coupled with reductions in self-rated ‘calmness’ at 2.5 h and 6 h. Quality of secondary memory was improved at 1 h and 4 h for the 25-µl dose. The same dose was associated with increases in self-rated ‘alertness’ at 4 h and 6 h and ‘contentedness’ across most time-points.
To the best of our knowledge, these results represent the first systematic evidence that Salvia is capable of acute modulation of mood and cognition in healthy young adults.
