Preprint / Version 1

Effects of turmeric on Alzheimer's disease with behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia

Authors

  • Nozomi Hishikawa Chief Physician, Department of Neurology, Kariya Toyota General Hospital, Kariya City, Aichi, Japan
  • Yoriko Takahashi Lecturer, Nippon Ayurveda School, Chuo Ku, Tokyo, Japan
  • Yoshinobu Amakusa Medical staff, Department of Neurology, Kariya Toyota General Hospital, Kariya City, Aichi, Japan
  • Yuhei Tanno Medical staff, Department of Neurology, Kariya Toyota General Hospital, Kariya City, Aichi, Japan
  • Yoshitake Tuji Chief Physician, Department of Neurology, Kariya Toyota General Hospital, Kariya City, Aichi, Japan
  • Hisayoshi Niwa Head, Department of Neurology, Kariya Toyota General Hospital, Kariya City, Aichi, Japan
  • Nobuyuki Murakami Adviser, Department of Neurology, Kariya Toyota General Hospital, Kariya City, Aichi, Japan
  • U Krishna Principal, Nippon Ayurveda School, Chuo Ku,Tokyo, Japan

Keywords:

Alzheimer's disease, behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, curcumin, mini-mental state examination, neuropsychiatric inventory-brief questionnaire, turmeric

Abstract

We describe here three patients with the Alzheimer's Disease (AD) whose behavioral symptoms were improved remarkably as a result of the turmeric treatment, which is the traditional Indian medicine. Their cognitive decline and Behavioral and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia (BPSD) were very severe. All three patients exhibited irritability, agitation, anxiety, and apathy, two patients suffer from urinary incontinence and wonderings. They were prescribed turmeric powder capsules and started recovering from these symptoms without any adverse reaction in the clinical symptom and laboratory data. After 12 weeks of the treatment, total score of the Neuro-Psychiatric Inventory-brief questionnaire decreased significantly in both acuity of symptoms and burden of caregivers. In one case, the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score was up five points, from 12/30 to 17/30. In the other two cases, no significant change was seen in the MMSE; however, they came to recognize their family within 1 year treatment. All cases have been taking turmeric for more than 1 year, re-exacerbation of BPSD was not seen. The present cases suggest a significant improvement of the behavioral symptoms in the AD with the turmeric treatment, leading to probable benefit of the use of turmeric in individuals with the AD with BPSD. Keywords: Alzheimer's disease, behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia, curcumin, mini-mental state examination, neuropsychiatric inventory-brief questionnaire, turmeric

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