ABSTRACT
Objective To study the compatibility of TCM prescriptions of TCM practitioners of all dynasties of Alzheimer disease (AD). Methods Amnesia, forgetting, dementia, and idiot were set as search words to retrieve relevant literature in Encyclopadia of Traditional Chinese Medicine. Prescription information was screened and standardized to build database. Frequency analysis and association rules were used to mine TCM prescriptions and compatibility rules. Results Totally 449 AD related prescriptions were selected, involving 682 Chinese medicinal herbs. The individual herb with the highest frequency was Ginseng Radix Rhizoma (192);the herbal pair with the highest frequency was Ginseng Radix Rhizoma-Polyhalae Radix (182);the herbal combination with 3 Chinese medicinal herbs with the highest frequency was Poria with Hostwood-Ginseng Radix Rhizoma-Polyhalae Radix (79);the herbal combination with 4 Chinese medicinal herbs with the highest frequency was Polyhalae Radix-Ginseng Radix Rhizoma-Poria with Hostwood-Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma (37). The results of association rules showed that Ginseng Radix Rhizoma-Polyhalae Radix, Ginseng Radix Rhizoma-Glycyrrhizae Radix et Rhizoma, and Ginseng Radix Rhizoma-Poria with Hostwood were commonly used compatibilities in AD related prescriptions. Conclusion Treatment of TCM practitioners in all dynasties for AD mainly chooses Chinese medicinal herbs with the efficacy of tonifying qi and soothing nerves. The compatibilities and combinations are reasonable and with certain representativeness.