Randomized comparative clinical study to evaluate the efficacy of Shatapushpa Ghrita and Shatavari Ghrita in slow learners of childhood.

Intelligence plays a significant role in the development and well-being of children. Children exhibit variations in their physical attributes, intellectual capacities, academic performance, emotional characteristics, and cultural background. Intelligence is used to talk about the property of the entire human cognitive system.

Cognitive systems attain maturity gradually which involves the progressive building of learning skills, such as attention, memory and thinking. Cognitive skills are crucial for children to achieve high academic standards. In today’s fiercely competitive society, limited intellectual capabilities can lead to a significant challenge. It has been estimated that 5 to 15 percent of school-going children suffer from scholastic backwardness.

A Slow Learner is a child of below-average intelligence whose thinking skills and scholastic performance have developed significantly more slowly than the pace of his or her age with an IQ of 80-90. Neglecting them in terms of appropriate support may result in a decline in their academic motivation, potentially leading to alienation from school, school dropout, sometimes social maladjustment. This in turn attributes to low self- esteem, lack of goal-setting, problem-solving skills, poor memorizing abilities, poor peer relationships, etc. Educational Institutions have undertaken numerous initiatives to identify, and observe through scholastic performance (throwing light on areas like arithmetic, Reading, spelling etc.), and formulate remedial strategies for such children to enhance their learning abilities and support them. Slow leaners still struggle to attain the expected standards, despite the efforts made by the educational institutions and parents.

Intellectual functioning can be correlated to Medha(cognition) or Buddhi (Knowledge) in Ayurveda, whose proper functioning leads to Samyak Inyana (proper knowledge) and dysfunction leads to improper cognitive development.

Slow learners face auditory perceptual and visual motor problems. Thus in slow learners there is an insufficient processing of information to be learned, by the brain. The Manas is inefficient in obtaining Samyak Inyana through Shrotra and Chakshurendriya and the further processing of the Inyana obtained is insufficient due to Karma Kshaya of the Buddhi having implication on Dhriti and Smriti resulting in weak memory and poor retention power.

There are ample Medhya (cognition) drugs mentioned in Ayurveda. The effect of these medicine on improving Dhee, Dhriti, and Smriti needs to be evaluated. Two such formulations have been mentioned in Kashyapa Samhitha, namely Shatavari Ghrita and Shatapushpa Ghrita." Both are said to be Smritivardhaka (memory), Medhavardhaka (cognition), and Matikara along with being Balya and Ojasya due to the virue of the drugs in the form of Ghrita. 8.9 Continuous use of these drugs for a month makes a person Shrutadhara. le improve the learning skills and become a fast learner. Considering the effect on learning, this study entitled "Randomized comparative clinical study to evaluate the efficacy of Shatapushpa Ghrita and Shatavari Ghrita in slow learners of childhood" has been chosen.