Chinese club moss is the focus of a national clinical trial attempting to determine if the plant could help treat Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
This study is one of a growing number looking at natural and alternative therapies. The National Institutes of Health will spend over $300 million in alternative medicine research during 2007.
The moss, which is already available for sale as a nutritional supplement, is widely used in China as a treatment for cognitive disorders.
Patients in the study will receive either a placebo or a dose of Huperzine A, an alkaloid extracted from the plant. After the placebo-controlled phase, all patients will take doses of Huperzine A for eight weeks. Patients' cognitive functions will be monitored throughout the trial.
