Huperzine A is a plant-derived compound used in Alzheimer’s research for its effects on memory and cognition. A large review of randomized clinical trials examined how Huperzine A performs in people with Alzheimer’s disease, focusing on cognitive function, daily activity, and safety. Researchers analyzed data from 20 clinical trials involving 1,823 participants across multiple international and Chinese medical databases.
Across these trials, Huperzine A showed consistent improvement in cognitive scores such as MMSE, HDS, and WMS over periods ranging from 8 to 16 weeks. Participants taking Huperzine A also showed better performance in daily living activities compared with placebo and no-treatment groups. One study reported improvement in overall clinical assessment, while another found no measurable change on certain Alzheimer’s-specific scales. No severe side effects were reported, but most trials showed methodological weaknesses, which limits how strongly the results can be interpreted.
Overall, existing evidence suggests Huperzine A may support cognitive function and daily activity in people with Alzheimer’s disease, though higher-quality trials are still needed to confirm these findings and better define its role in clinical care.