Study 1
Design
An early trial tested the efficacy of an aqueous and an ethanolic extract (defatted) of Bacopa monnieri on 24 subjects suffering from convulsive disorders (grand mal epilepsy and/or diseases other than epilepsy such as cerebral palsy, intellectual disability, behavioral disorders, and schizophrenia). The subjects received either 64 ml of the aqueous extract containing the equivalent of 50 g of the fresh plant or 2-4 mg of the defatted, ethanolic extract (1 mg equivalent to 200 mg fresh plant) by oral administration daily for 5 months.
Results
The aqueous extract was reported to be effective in 50% of the cases as manifested in lowered frequency or occurrence of seizures. The defatted, ethanolic extract was effective in 60% of the cases, and the seizures ceased in two patients over the 5-month, treatment period. Administration in combination with anticonvulsive medications was also beneficial. In some non-epileptic patients, improvement was observed in behavior, insomnia, intellectual capabilities, and mood swings. However, no beneficial effects were observed in schizophrenics. Hematological and urinary biochemical parameters were found to be normal in all treated subjects.
Study 2
Summary
A study on 13 epilepsy patients using a defatted, ethanolic extract of Bacopa monnieri performed over a five-month period showed improvement in the frequency of seizures over a period of two to five months. The seizures ceased in five cases. One patient reported weakness, loss of concentration and dizziness.