Wong A H, Smith M, Boon H S
Clarke Institute of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1998 Nov;55(11):1033-44. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.55.11.1033.
Patients' use of alternative and complementary health services has created a need for physicians to become informed about the current literature regarding these treatments. Herbal remedies may be encountered in psychiatric practice when they are used to treat psychiatric symptoms; produce changes in mood, thinking, or behavior as a side effect; or interact with psychiatric medications. English-language articles and translated abstracts or articles (where available) found on MEDLINE and sources from the alternative/complementary health field were reviewed. Each herb was assessed for its safety, side effects, drug interactions, and efficacy in treating target symptoms or diagnoses. A synopsis of the information available for each herb is presented. In many cases the quantity and quality of data were insufficient to make definitive conclusions about efficacy or safety. However, there was good evidence for the efficacy of St John's wort for the treatment of depression and for ginkgo in the treatment of memory impairment caused by dementia. More research is required for most of the herbs reviewed, but the information published to date is still of clinical interest in diagnosing, counseling, and treating patients who may be taking botanical remedies.
患者对替代和补充健康服务的使用使得医生有必要了解有关这些治疗方法的当前文献。在精神科实践中，当草药被用于治疗精神症状、作为副作用导致情绪、思维或行为改变或与精神科药物相互作用时，可能会遇到草药。我们查阅了MEDLINE上找到的英文文章以及翻译后的摘要或文章（如有），以及替代/补充健康领域的资料来源。对每种草药的安全性、副作用、药物相互作用以及治疗目标症状或诊断的疗效进行了评估。本文呈现了每种草药可用信息的概要。在许多情况下，数据的数量和质量不足以就疗效或安全性得出明确结论。然而，有充分证据表明圣约翰草治疗抑郁症有效，银杏治疗痴呆引起的记忆障碍有效。对于大多数所审查的草药，还需要更多研究，但迄今为止发表的信息对于诊断、咨询和治疗可能正在服用植物药的患者仍具有临床意义。
