The clinical efficacy of Olibanum gum chewing in patients with Mild‐to‐Moderate Alzheimer disease: A randomized Parallel‐Design controlled trial

Abstract

Abstract Background Alzheimer's disease is a common neurodegenerative disorder in elderly with progressive decline in cognitive functions. This study aimed to investigate the possible memory‐improving effects of Olibanum on patients with Alzheimer's disease. Research Design and Method This double‐blind, randomized clinical trial was carried out on 72 participants aged 50–75 years. The intervention group (n = 36) received 1.6 g/day of olibanum chewing gum for 18 weeks. The placebo group (n = 36) received chewing gum without olibanum. Neuropsychological assessments were performed at baseline, every 4 weeks, and after 18 weeks of the intervention. Results There was no significant difference between (MD: 0.84, 95%CI: −1.10 to 2.78, p = 0.392) at baseline. Both groups had linear improvements over time. There was no significant difference between two groups regarding the improvements after the intervention (F = 0.157, p = 0.693). There were no significant differences between the groups for MMSE score (Mini‐Mental State Examination) after the intervention (F = 0.141, p = 0.708). Conclusions This study revealed that 18 weeks of gum chewing with Olibanum did not change the neuropsychological status. More clinical studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Keywords

• alzheimer's disease
• gum chewing
• memory loss
• Olibanum
• persian medicine