Cognitive Disorders and its Herbal Remedies

People with mild cognitive impairment have problems with memory, language, thinking or judgment that are greater than the cognitive changes associated with normal aging. Cognitive disorders can be objectively measured in cognitive tests, but the changes in cognitive abilities are usually not serious enough to interfere with daily life and independence. A person with cognitive impairment has an increased risk of developing Delirium, Dementia Alzheimer's disease and Amnesia, but some people with cognitive impairment remain stable and others show improved cognitive abilities over time. There is no proper cure for the cognitive disorders and much of the treatments available have been able to only delay the progression of the disorders or provide symptomatic relief for a short time period. Therefore there is need for a different approach to the treatment of these cognitive disorders. Different medicinal plants have been used since ancient times in the treatment of various cognitive disorders. Therefore pharmacological screening of medicinal plants may provide useful leads in the discovery of new drugs for the treatment of cognitive disorders. Variety of medicinal plants which can be used in cognitive enhancement is reviewed in this article. Phytochemical substances such as alkaloids, curcuminoids, triterpenoids and withenolides with pharmacological activities related to cognitive disorders treatment are discussed in this review.