Table 2.
Summary of findings.
| EGb alone or combined with drugs for VCI versus drugs for VCI alone or blank group “Drugs for VCI” and “blank” are abbreviated as “DV” and “B,” respectively. | |||||
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| Patients or population: the patients diagnosed with VCI were not limited in terms of age, sex, and race Intervention: use of EGb alone or combined with drugs for VCI Comparison: drugs for VCI or blank control | |||||
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| Outcomes | Anticipated absolute effects∗ (95% CI) | Relative effect (95% CI) | Number of participants (studies) | Quality of the evidence (GRADE) | |
| Risk with control group | Risk with experimental group | ||||
| MMSE | |||||
| EGb vs. B | MMSE mean range 20.1-21.5 | MD 3.04 (0.10 lower to 5.98 higher) | — | 186 (2 RCTs) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Very low1,2,3,4 |
| EGb vs. DV | The average levels in the control group were 15.62-16.35 | MD 2.7 (1.39 lower to 4.01 higher) | — | 169 (2 RCTs) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Very low1,2,4 |
| EGb + DV vs. B | There was a significant difference in MMSE between EGb + DV and B (P < 0.00001) in one RCT [56]. | — | 61 (1 RCT) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Low1,2 |
|
| EGb + DV vs. DV | MMSE range 17.57-24.56 | MD 3.14 (0 lower to 4.15 higher) | — | 881 (11 RCTs) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Very low1,3,5 |
| MoCA | |||||
| EGb vs. B | MoCA mean range 12.98-18.4 | MD 5.3 (2.15 lower to 8.46 higher) | — | 180 (2 RCTs) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Very low1,2,3,4 |
| EGb + DV vs. B | There was a significant difference in MMSE between EGb + DV and B (P < 0.00001) in one RCT [58] | — | 88 (1 RCT) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Low1,2 |
|
| EGb + DV vs. DV | MoCA mean range 18.4-22.86 | MD 2.56 (2.66 lower to 3.27 higher) | — | 622 (6 RCTs) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Very low1,3,5 |
| ADL | |||||
| EGb vs. B | There was a significant difference in ADL between EGb and B (P = 0.0003) in one RCT [39] | — | 60 (1 RCT) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Very low1,2,4 |
|
| EGb + DV vs. B | There was a significant difference in ADL between EGb + DV and B (P < 0.00001) in one RCT [56] | — | 61 (1 RCTs) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Very low1,2,4 |
|
| EGb + DV vs. DV | ADL mean range 45.1-50.36 | MD 9.2 (5.59 lower to 11.41 higher) | — | 361 (4 RCTs) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Medium1 |
| HDS | |||||
| EGb vs. B | There was a significant difference in HDS between EGb and B (P < 0.00001) in one RCT [55] | — | 126 (1 RCT) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Very low1,2,4 |
|
| EGb + DV vs. DV | HDSL mean range 22.41-24.16 | MD 3.6 (2.5 lower to 4.7 higher) | — | 140 (2 RCTs) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Very low1,2,3 |
| BI | |||||
| EGb + DV vs. DV | BI mean range 50.1-83.14 | MD 5.71 (3.64 lower to 8.43 higher) | — | 388 (4 RCTs) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Very low1,3,4,5 |
| FAQ | |||||
| EGb vs. DV | FAQ mean range 12-13.02 | MD1.43 (2.78 higher to 0.08 lower) | — | 169 (2 RCTs) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Very low1,2 |
| EGb + DV vs. DV | There was a significant difference in FAQ between EGb + DV and DV (P = 0.03) in one RCT [49] | — | 82 (1 RCT) | ⊕⊝⊝⊝ Very low1,2 |
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∗The risk in the intervention group (and its 95% confidence interval) is based on the assumed risk in the comparison group and the relative effect of the intervention (and its 95% CI). MMSE: Mini-Mental State Examination; MoCA: Montreal Cognitive Assessment; CI: confidence interval; RCT: randomized controlled trials. 1Bias in the integrity of hidden allocation, blind method, and result data. 2Funnel plot asymmetry. 3High heterogeneity, I2 ≥ 50%. 4Wide confidence interval. 5Differences in the types of cognitive impairment of the subjects, control medication, or course of treatment. Outcomes: EGb vs. B: EGb vs. blank control; EGb vs. DV: EGb vs. drug for VCI; EGb + DV vs. B: EGb + drug for VCI vs. blank control; EGb + DV vs. DV: EGb + drug for VCI vs. drug for VCI.