Prevention of Early Alzheimer’s Disease by Erinacine A-Enriched Hericium erinaceus Mycelia Pilot Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Study

Summary & key facts

This was a 1-year, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled pilot trial in people with mild Alzheimer’s disease. Participants took either three 350 mg capsules per day of Hericium erinaceus mycelia enriched with 5 mg/g erinacine A (about 5.25 mg erinacine A per day) or placebo for 49 weeks after a 3-week screening. The erinacine A group showed small improvements or less decline on several cognitive and daily-living tests, better contrast sensitivity, and different brain imaging and blood biomarker patterns than the placebo group. Four people stopped the study because of abdominal discomfort, nausea, or a skin rash. The authors say the results suggest the treatment is safe, well tolerated

Key facts:

• The trial lasted 49 weeks of treatment after a 3-week no-drug screening period.
• Treatment dose was three 350 mg EAHE mycelia capsules per day; the mycelia were enriched to 5 mg erinacine A per gram, giving about 5.25 mg erinacine A per day in total.
• The study was double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled (pilot trial).
• After 49 weeks, the EAHE group showed a statistically significant improvement on the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) compared with their baseline.
• After 49 weeks, the placebo group showed a statistically significant decrease in Cognitive Abilities Screening Instrument (CASI) score, while the EAHE group did not.
• Instrumental Activities of Daily Living (IADL) scores differed significantly between the EAHE and placebo groups over the study period, favoring EAHE.
• The EAHE group had significantly better contrast sensitivity than the placebo group at the end of the study.
• Only the placebo group experienced significant changes in several blood biomarkers over the study: decreases in calcium, albumin, apolipoprotein E4, hemoglobin, and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and increases in alpha1-antichymo
• Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) findings differed by group: mean apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) in the arcuate fasciculus increased significantly in the placebo group but not in the EAHE group; ADC in the parahippocampal cingulum decre
• Four participants dropped out because of adverse events (abdominal discomfort, nausea, and skin rash); no other adverse events were reported in the study text.

Abstract

Objective: To investigate the efficacy and safety of three H. erinaceus mycelia (EAHE) capsules (350 mg/capsule; containing 5 mg/g erinacine A active ingredi...

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Alzheimer's disease research and treatments Ginkgo biloba and Cashew Applications Phytoestrogen effects and research

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Alternative medicine Gastroenterology Internal medicine Medicine Pathology Placebo