Molecules 2013, 18, 14670-14693; doi:10.3390/molecules181214670 OPEN ACCESS molecules ISSN 1420-3049 www.mdpi.com/journal/molecules Review Traditional Korean East Asian Medicines and Herbal Formulations for Cognitive Impairment Hemant Kumar, Soo-Yeol Song, Sandeep Vasant More, Seong-Mook Kang, Byung-Wook Kim, In-Su Kim and Dong-Kug Choi * Department of Biotechnology, College of Biomedical and Health Science, Konkuk University, Chung-ju 380-701, Korea; E-Mails:
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[email protected]; Tel.: +82-43-840-3610; Fax: +82-43-840-3872. Received: 9 September 2013; in revised form: 8 November 2013 / Accepted: 18 November 2013 / Published: 26 November 2013 Abstract: Hanbang, the Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM), is an inseparable component of Korean culture both within the country, and further afield. Korean traditional herbs have been used medicinally to treat sickness and injury for thousands of years. Oriental medicine reflects our ancestor’s wisdom and experience, and as the elderly population in Korea is rapidly increasing, so is the importance of their health problems. The proportion of the population who are over 65 years of age is expected to increase to 24.3% by 2031. Cognitive impairment is common with increasing age, and efforts are made to retain and restore the cognition ability of the elderly. Herbal materials have been considered for this purpose because of their low adverse effects and their cognitive-enhancing or anti-dementia activities.