The present study aimed to investigate the effects of YXJF on memory impairment in a rat model of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion-induced VaD and to explore the underlying mechanisms, including anti-apoptotic effects and enhancement of cAMP/PKA/CREB signal transduction, which provided convincing evidence for the clinical efficacy of YXJF. This evidence concerns the gene CREB1 and Cerebral ischemia.