The Role of Berberine in the Multi-Target Treatment of Senile Dementia.

Dementia is an acquired progressive cognitive dysfunction, affecting the content of consciousness rather than the level of consciousness. Most dementia is senile dementia, accounting for the majority of dementia. The most important and common form of senile dementia is refractory dementia, which includes Alzheimer's disease (AD) and vascular dementia (VD). Due to the diversity and uncertainty of the pathogenic mechanism of VD and AD, no significantly effective drug currently exists. Berberine is a natural isoquinoline alkaloid extracted from Coptis chinensis that has a wide range of pharmacological effects. studies in recent years have also found that berberine can additionally treat senile dementia by affecting neurotransmitter, anti-oxidative stress, metabolism and other multi-target pathways. Multi-target treatment of senile dementia by berberine is a potential avenue of study for senile dementia treatment.