| خلاصه مقاله | INTRODUCTION Cognitive impairment is a common and disabling feature of multiple sclerosis (MS), with substantial effects on patients’ quality of life. Although many individuals with MS use herbal and plant-derived therapies, a comprehensive evaluation of their effectiveness on cognitive outcomes is lacking. This study aimed to synthesize existing evidence through a systematic review and conduct the first network meta analysis (NMA) on this topic. METHODS We systematically searched PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Embase for clinical studies assessing the impact of herbal medicines on cognition in MS. Both qualitative and quantitative syntheses were performed. A random-effects NMA was conducted for four cognitive outcomes: Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT), California Verbal Learning Test-II (CVLT-II), and Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT). Efficacy estimates were expressed as standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS Results: The NMA indicated that Achillea millefolium (500 mg) was the only intervention that significantly improved PASAT performance compared with placebo (SMD 0.63, 95% CI [0.07, 1.20]). In contrast, smoked cannabis was associated with a significant decline in PASAT scores (SMD -1.35, 95% CI [-1.91, 0.79]). No significant cognitive benefits were observed for Ginkgo biloba or Boswellia serrata across any of the evaluated outcomes. Ranking analysis placed Achillea millefolium (500 mg) as the top treatment for PASAT improvement, with smoked cannabis ranking lowest. CONCLUSIONS Evidence on the cognitive effects of herbal therapies in MS remains limited but provides preliminary direction. Achillea millefolium appears promising and merits further investigation in larger trials. Current data do not support the use of Ginkgo biloba for cognitive enhancement. Given the observed detrimental effects, smoked cannabis should be avoided by MS patients concerned about cognitive decline. High-quality, rigorously designed randomized controlled trials are urgently needed to clarify the role of herbal interventions in MS cognitive management. |