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Conclusion
We found a statistically significant advantage of Ginkgo biloba compared to placebo in improving cognition for the whole group of patients with Alzheimer's disease, vascular or mixed dementia. Regarding activities of daily living, there was no significant difference for the whole group. However, in the subgroup of patients with Alzheimer's disease, there was a statistically significant advantage of Ginkgo biloba compared to placebo. In a situation, where the clinical significance of the moderate effects of cholinesterase inhibitors and memantine as symptomatic treatments is increasingly been questioned, ginkgo biloba may not be an inferior treatment option for a considerable number of people with mild or moderate dementia. However, direct comparisons are lacking. A major multicenter study to compare the relative effectiveness of Ginkgo biloba and cholinesterase inhibitors for different dementia subgroups appears justified.