Effects of herbal medicine on memory impairment in electroconvulsive therapy

The usefulness of electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) in the management of mood disorders would be improved if its related cognitive impairment is attenuated properly. In this study we investigated the effects of using a combination of Crocus sativus (CS), Cyperus rotundus (CR), and honey in the treatment of ECT-induced memory impairment. In this randomized double-blind clinical trial, patients with mood disorders who were candidates for ECT were selected by random sampling method. They were then randomized into 2 groups of intervention and placebo. The two groups received 9 grams of an herbal combination of CS, CR, and honey or identical placebo twice daily for 40 days from the ECT initiation time. ECT was performed 3 times a week. Cognitive status was examined using Addenbrooke's Cognitive Examination-Revised (ACE-R) test. Patients were examined on 5 occasions, i.e. before ECT, after the fourth and the last session, and one and two months after the last session. Mean scores of ACE-R were compared between the two studied groups and between the studied occasions using repeated measures analysis of covariance (ANCOVA). Overall, 84 patients were randomized into two groups of intervention and placebo. Mean scores of ACE-R were not different between the two studied groups in the studied occasions (p > 0.05). However, ACE-R scores increased significantly in the intervention group after one or two months after the last ECT session (p < 0.05). Time and interaction effects were significant but the intervention effect was not. Our findings confirmed the memory improving effects of CR, CS, and honey. However, achieving more conclusive results requires larger sample size and longer duration of study.