A study was conducted to evaluate the effects of Bacopa monnieri on supporting brain health parameters in 40 elementary school children aged 6-8 years.
Study design
Group I
Twenty children (20) received one teaspoonful of Bacopa monnieri syrup three times daily for three months. Each teaspoonful provided the equivalent of 350 mg of crude Brahmi.
Group II
Twenty children (20) received a placebo syrup without Bacopa monnieri, administered three times daily for three months.
Assessments
The effects of Bacopa monnieri supplementation were evaluated using the following standardized psychological tests:
Results
Test 1
Children receiving Bacopa monnieri showed statistically significant improvements in raw scores and total quotient values (p < 0.001), along with reductions in reaction time (p < 0.001), performance time (p < 0.01), and error incidence (p < 0.1). These changes were not observed in the placebo group.
Test 2
A statistically significant improvement in immediate memory performance (p < 0.01) was observed in the Bacopa monnieri group, while changes in the placebo group were not significant.
Test 3
A significant reduction in reaction time (p < 0.001) was noted in the Bacopa monnieri group, with no meaningful changes observed in the placebo group.
Test 4
A significant decrease in test scores indicating improved visual-motor integration was observed in the Bacopa monnieri group (p < 0.1). Changes in the placebo group were not significant.
No direct statistical comparison between the two groups was reported. However, consistent improvements from baseline were observed in the Bacopa monnieri group across measures of visual-motor learning and immediate memory, while no comparable improvements were observed in the placebo group.
With respect to perceptual organization and reasoning ability, outcomes were comparable between both groups.
Overall, the findings suggest that Bacopa monnieri supplementation may help support visual-motor performance, immediate memory, and selected function parameters in children, based on standardized psychological assessments.