Effects of Ginkgo diterpene lactone meglumine on cognition and neurological function in stroke patients: a systematic evaluation and meta-analysis

ObjectivesEvaluating the effect of GDLM on cognitive function and neurological prognosis in stroke patients MethodsInvestigators systematically searched nine databases for all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) from the inception of the databases to February 2025. Two investigators independently conducted literature screening, data extraction, bias risk assessment, and analyzed the data using data analysis software (StataMP 18). ResultsWe included 34 RCTs involving 3,641 patients. Compared with the control group, the GDLM group showed significantly greater improvements in Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) (weighted mean difference [WMD] = 3.05, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.21 to 4.90), Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) (WMD = 3.68, 95% CI = 2.31 to 5.06), Barthel Index (BI) (WMD = 9.47, 95% CI = 8.02 to 10.91), and Activities of Daily Living Scale (ADLs) (WMD = 8.80, 95% CI = 6.59 to 11.00) scores. Additionally, more pronounced reductions were observed in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) (WMD = -2.30, 95% CI = -2.80 to -1.80) and modified Rankin Scale (mRS) (WMD = -0.45, 95% CI = -0.67 to -0.23) scores (all P < 0.001). ConclusionGDLM improves cognitive and neurological functions and enhances activities of daily living in stroke patients, supporting its clinical application. Future studies should involve longer follow-up, larger samples, and more rigorous RCTs to further clarify its effects on stroke patients.