The Effect of Dangguijagyag-san on Mild Cognitive Impairment

The aim of this study was to evaluate the safety and the effect of dangguijagyag-san (DJS) on mild cognitive impairment (MCI).

This study examined the administration of DJS ([Formula: see text]; angelica and peony formula) and was conducted at Uijeongbu Health Center in Gyeonggi-do, Korea, in 2013. Ninety-five of 118 patients diagnosed with MCI were followed up for 1 year after the study ended, and their medical records were analyzed.

The patients included 36 men (37.9%) and 59 women (62.1%). When the results from before the study began were compared with the results 1 year after the study ended, the overall average score according to the Korean-Montreal Cognitive Assessment (K-MOCA) showed a statistically significant increase, from 15.46 ± 5.30 to 18.54 ± 5.11, respectively. Both male and female patients recorded a significant increase in K-MOCA scores for all sections, including the visuospatial/executive section, the naming section, the attention section, the language section, the abstraction section, the delayed recall section, and the orientation section. Scores assessed by the Mini-Mental State Examination for Dementia Screening (MMSE-DS) showed a statistically significant increase, from 21.84 ± 3.59 before the study to 24.43 ± 3.13 after the study, but decreased slightly to 23.04 ± 3.36 at the 1-year follow-up. However, MMSE-DS scores measured before the study began increased significantly when compared with scores measured 1 year after the study ended.

DGJYS improved the cognitive skills of patients diagnosed with MCI, and no adverse effects were observed. In the future, the efficacy of DGJYS must be objectively verified by using a randomized controlled trial.