Herbal medicine hochuekkito improves awareness in acute and persistent disturbance of consciousness: Seven remarkable cases at our department

Abstract

We examined the effect of hochuekkito on improving awareness. Methods: Our study included seven patients who were in a state of Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) score < 8 for one week or more. Subjects were administered hochuekkito, and the detailed state of awareness was evaluated using various assessment scales. These data were analyzed statistical methods. Results: All patients exhibited a significant improvement in awareness after administration of hochuekkito. Many patients (71~86%) exhibited this improvement within 7 days from the start of medicine. Cases in which treatment was initiated in the sub-acute and chronic phases tended to exhibit a greater final improvement in scores compared with cases in which treatment was initiated during the acute phase. However, there was no statistically significant difference. The current study is the first report which suggests that hochuekkito improves awareness.