Does it work?

Probably not for frontotemporal dementia, but possibly for Alzheimer's disease. Huperzine A is a long acting acetylcholinesterase inhibitor with greater potency than tacrine (Cognex) or donepezil, two cholinesterase inhibitors approved for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Huperzine A also appears to decrease neuronal cell death in the brain.

Well-designed clinical trials with huperzine A have not yet been published in the Western medical literature. Four clinical trials have been published in China, where it has been approved for treating dementia for many years.