• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.139-146
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• 2004

Objective : While the demand for herbal medicine has increased continuously, scientific data attesting to pharmacological activity are still insufficient. One important reason, especially in child patients, is the shortage of standardized instruments for clinical research. This study was designed to develop a scale to assess the effect of herbal medicine in children. Methods : The authors chose Gami-jiwhangtang (GJT) as a standard formulation and developed a scale, Bahn's Drug Evaluation Scale (BaDES), for this experiment. Forty-two healthy children, 7 and 8 years old, living in Seoul, Korea, volunteered to use GJT. The experimental group received GJT for 6 weeks, whereas the control group received no medicine. The children's mothers in both groups completed the BaDES on the sixth and twelfth week after GJT was commenced. Results : The experimental group showed a significant improvement in overall physical condition and gastrointestinal function as compared with the control group. Conclusion : These results suggest that BaDES may be a useful assessment tool for measuring the effect of herbal medicine.

• The Journal of Korean Medicine
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.129-138
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• 2004

Objective : Treatments for patients with mental retardation and pervasive developmental disorders are not curative, and are designed to help those with disabilities adjust to their environments and daily demands. As clinicians, the present authors tried to find agents with potentially curative properties. Among the numerous herbal formulations available, we chose and assessed Gami-jiwhang-tang (GJT) in the hope that it would improve cognitive development of children. Methods : Subjects were typically-developing healthy, 7- to 8-year-old boys and girls living in Seoul, Korea. The experimental group took GJT for six weeks and was followed up six weeks after discontinuation of GJT. The control group was assessed at the same intervals but did not receive placebos. To measure the effects of GJT, neuropsychological tests and intelligence test were taken before commencing GJT and twelve weeks later. Resulets and Conclusion : For all of the ANOVAs, the treatment by time interaction terms was not significant. However, the experimental group showed the tendency to be progressed in most subscales compared with the control group, especially on performance intelligence, visual organization, and verbal fluency. Conclusion : Although GJT failed to reveal significant improvement in cognition, we remain hopeful about the compound and believe that it should be evaluated by a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial in the future.