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In 488 dementia patients with a history of stroke, 240 mg/day of a specific ginkgo extract improved cognition — but the effect was modest and the p-value hovered near the borderline.

This meta-analysis adds to a moderate body of evidence (5 of 7 studies showing benefit) that ginkgo may help cognition in a very specific clinical population — people with dementia after a cerebral infarction — but the small effect size and narrow patient group mean the results don't apply to healthy adults or general memory concerns.

Researchers pooled data from 488 patients with mild-to-moderate dementia who had previously had a stroke and found that 240 mg/day of the standardized ginkgo extract EGb 761 led to a statistically significant improvement in cognition compared to placebo. The same analysis also found benefits for daily living activities and overall clinical impression, with no safety concerns. However, the cognitive effect was moderate, the p-value was just barely significant (0.0467), and the results only apply to this specific clinical group — not to healthy people hoping to sharpen their memory.

Where this fits in the evidence

Pillser has synthesized 7 studies on Ginkgo for Improved Cognitive Function — overall evidence strength: Moderate.

Across 7 studies, 5 reported beneficial effects of Ginkgo on cognitive function, with effect sizes predominantly small, though some moderate effects were observed in clinical populations. The strongest evidence comes from a 2025 systematic review of 599 patients with vascular cognitive impairment, showing a small but significant improvement in MoCA scores (MD=1.29, 95% CI: 1.24, 1.35). Median study duration was 70 days, suggesting effects typically require several weeks of use.

The study

Ginkgo biloba extract EGb 761 in patients with dementia and a history of cerebral infarction-meta-analysis of pooled data from randomised clinical trials.

Systematic Review
n = 488
2026-03-13
Frontiers in neurology

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