Researchers from Germany’s University of Tübingen’s Center for Medicine tested the Ginkgo biloba extract EGb761 on 20 children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in a clinical trial. The children were given up to 240 milligrams (mg) of the extract for between three and five weeks. Before, during and after the treatment, the scientists evaluated the children by testing the brain’s electrical activity, along with other ADHD-related tests. Those that had received the extract exhibited significant improvement in ADHD symptoms.

A study from Liberty University, in Virginia, previously examined 262 adults ages 60 and over with normal memory and mental performance and found that the same Ginkgo biloba extract improved their cognitive scores. Half of the study participants were given 180 mg of the extract daily and half were given a placebo. Standardized tests and a subjective, self-reporting questionnaire found the Ginkgo resulted in significant cognitive improvements among the older adults.