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	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 103 words of the full text and any section headings.

To the Editor: Dr Solomon and colleagues¹ studied the effect of ginkgo in enhancing cognitive abilities among individuals with normal baseline function. It is unclear, however, whether these negative results apply to a population with impaired cognitive function.

By contrast, Le Bars et al² reported significant improvement among patients with either multi-infarct dementia or Alzheimer disease. For such individuals, clinicians in Europe generally use the higher dose of 240 mg/d for at least 3 months. The results of Solomon et al do not rule out a beneficial effect of this higher dosage in the subjects they tested.

Financial Disclosure: Dr Wheatley is an independent medical consultant to Lichtwer-Pharma UK Ltd.

David Wheatley, MD, FRCPsych
Richmond, England

1. Solomon PR, Adams F, Silver A, Zimmer J, DeVeaux R. Ginkgo for memory enhancement: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2002;288:835-840. FREE FULL TEXT 2. Le Bars PL, Katz MM, Berman N, et al. A placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized trial of an extract of Ginkgo biloba for dementia. JAMA. 1997;278:1237-1332. ABSTRACT

JAMA. 2003;289:546-547.

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