12-month herbal medicine use for mental health from the national Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R).

BACKGROUND: Herbal medicine is widely used by individuals with mental health problems, although research on their health characteristics and health care utilization patterns­including concomitant treatment with conventional mental health care and psychotropic medication­remains limited. METHODS: We gathered data from the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), a representative survey of US adults in which diagnoses of mental disorders were based on a fully structured diagnostic interview. RESULTS: Our analysis found that NCS-R respondents with mental disorders were significantly more likely to have used herbal medicines for mental health problems than respondents who did not meet criteria for a mental disorder. Users of herbal medicines for mental health problems were likely to utilize conventional health care as well, particularly conventional psychiatric medication. Herbal use also was associated with having multiple comorbid medical problems. CONCLUSIONS: A substantial proportion of US adults use herbal medicine to treat mental health problems. Herbal medicine is frequently used concomitantly with conventional health care, including prescription psychotropic medication. Herbal use also is associated with having multiple chronic medical problems. These factors increase the potential for interactions between herbal medicines and psychiatric and nonpsychiatric medications.

Ginkgo biloba extract: review of CNS effects.

The marketing of Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) products is directed to the healthy, not diseased, population primarily for the promotion and maintenance of optimal brain function, not the treatment or prevention of any specific pathological state. However, recommendations are available for the use of GBE for a myriad of diseases that generally fall into one of three categories--cerebrovascular, peripheral vascular, or mitigation of tissue damage. The evidence for the pharmacological actions of GBE stem from one of three types of investigations--clinical studies in humans, pharmacological trials in animals, and in vitro studies. The purpose of this paper is to review the scientific literature on the central nervous system effects of GBE, with emphasis on the potential mechanisms of action. Limitations of the current scientific literature are highlighted and suggestions for future human and animal research directions are proposed.