Influence of the Severity of Cognitive Impairment on the Effect of the Ginkgo biloba Extract EGb 761® in Alzheimer’s Disease

Objective: To explore the treatment effect of EGb 761 ® (EGb) in Alzheimer’s disease depending on baseline severity. Methods: We applied stratification to the intent-to-treat data set collected during a 52-week, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group, multicenter study with 120 mg of EGb, using cutoff points of 23 and 14 for the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score. Outcome measures used were the cognitive subscale of the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale (ADAS-Cog) and the Geriatric Evaluation by Relative’s Rating Instrument (GERRI). Results: In the severity stratum 1 (MMSE >23), the placebo group did not show significant changes, while the EGb group improved significantly by 1.7 points on the ADAS-Cog and by 0.09 points on the GERRI. In the severity stratum 2 (MMSE