Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41866633›Full record

Trial reportBrain imaging and behavior2026

Effects of the herbal prescription Kami Guibi-tang on brain function in amnestic mild cognitive impairment: a task-based and resting-state fMRI study.

Dongjoo Kim, Na-Yeon Kim, Min-Jae Kwak, Kyeong-Hwa Heo, Han-Gyul Lee, Seungwon Kwon, Seung-Yeon Cho, Seong-Uk Park, Woo-Sang Jung, Sang-Kwan Moon and 4 more

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Brain imaging and behavior, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Dongjoo KimDepartment of Cardiology and Neurology, Kyung Hee University College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Na-Yeon KimDepartment of Cardiology and Neurology, Kyung Hee University College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Min-Jae KwakDepartment of Cardiology and Neurology, Kyung Hee University College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Kyeong-Hwa HeoDepartment of Cardiology and Neurology, Kyung Hee University College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Han-Gyul LeeDepartment of Cardiology and Neurology, Kyung Hee University College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Seungwon KwonDepartment of Cardiology and Neurology, Kyung Hee University College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Seung-Yeon ChoDepartment of Cardiology and Neurology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Seong-Uk ParkDepartment of Cardiology and Neurology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Woo-Sang JungDepartment of Cardiology and Neurology, Kyung Hee University College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Sang-Kwan MoonDepartment of Cardiology and Neurology, Kyung Hee University College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Chang-Nam KoDepartment of Cardiology and Neurology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Hyug-Gi KimDepartment of Radiology, Kyung Hee University Hospital, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Geon-Ho JahngDepartment of Radiology, Kyung Hee University Hospital at Gangdong, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Jung-Mi ParkDepartment of Cardiology and Neurology, College of Korean Medicine, Kyung Hee University, Seoul, Republic of Korea. pajama@khu.ac.kr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0851-4431

Funding

the Ministry of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea RS-2021-KH121820
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Amnestic mild cognitive impairment represents a prodromal stage of Alzheimer’s disease characterized by episodic memory deficits and subtle alterations in brain function. Although the traditional herbal formula Kami Guibi-tang (KGT) has been reported to exert cognitive benefits, its neural effects have not been evaluated using functional neuroimaging. In this randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, 84 individuals with amnestic mild cognitive impairment received either KGT or placebo for 24 weeks. A total of 73 participants (36 in the KGT group and 37 in the placebo group) completed the intervention and were included in the final analyses. All participants underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging during a face-name association task and a working memory task, as well as resting-state scans. Task-based imaging data were analyzed using voxel-wise and region-of-interest approaches, and associations between changes in task-related activation and cognitive performance were also examined. Resting-state functional connectivity was analyzed to examine regional connectivity changes. At baseline, the placebo group showed greater activation in memory- and attention-related regions, including the posterior cingulate cortex, frontal areas, and thalamus. These voxel-wise differences were no longer observed after the intervention. Region-of-interest analyses using linear mixed-effects models revealed significant group × time interactions in several frontal, cingulate, and thalamic regions, with activation declining in the placebo group but remaining relatively preserved or showing modest increases in the KGT group. Resting-state analyses further demonstrated increased connectivity between the left precuneus and right posterior cingulate cortex following KGT administration. These findings suggest that KGT may modulate brain activity and connectivity in regions involved in episodic and working memory. While preliminary, these results provide neuroimaging-based evidence for its potential effects on memory-related neural processes in the early stages of cognitive decline.

Indexed as

BrainCognitive DysfunctionDrugs, Chinese HerbalAgedAmnesiaBrain MappingCognitive EnhancementDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMemory, Short-TermMiddle AgedNeural PathwaysNeuropsychological TestsDrugs, Chinese HerbalAmnestic mild cognitive impairmentfMRIFunctional connectivityKami Guibi-tangMemory task

Identifiers

PMID41866633
PMCPMC13006464

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.