Effects of Stress-reducing Aromatherapy

Overview

The study purpose is to evaluate efficacy of stress-reducing aromatherapy and learn about how aromatherapy works.

Full Title of Study: “Physiologic and Expectancy Effects of Stress-reducing Aroma in Older Adults”

Study Type

  • Study Type: Interventional
  • Study Design
    • Allocation: Randomized
    • Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
    • Primary Purpose: Prevention
    • Masking: Single (Outcomes Assessor)
  • Study Primary Completion Date: December 2012

Detailed Description

The study purpose is to evaluate efficacy of stress-reducing aromatherapy and learn about how aromatherapy works by comparing participants' physiologic responses to laboratory challenge tasks with and without experiencing aromatherapy.

Interventions

  • Other: aroma
    • Comparison of known stress reducing aroma to placebo aromas without stress-reducing effects

Arms, Groups and Cohorts

  • Experimental: stress reducing aroma
    • aroma with reported stress reducing effects
  • Placebo Comparator: Placebo aroma 1
  • Placebo Comparator: Placebo aroma 2

Clinical Trial Outcome Measures

Primary Measures

  • Percent of Baseline Level of Salivary Cortisol
    • Time Frame: assessed at baseline (60 min prior to aroma exposure and stress), stress battery (30 min after aroma exposure and during stress), post-stress (60 min after completing stress battery)
    • Percent of baseline level of salivary cortisol (values greater than baseline indicate increased stress)

Secondary Measures

  • Electroencephalography (EEG) Frontal Asymmetry
    • Time Frame: assessed at baseline (60 min prior to aroma exposure and stress), at the onset of aromatherapy exposure, stress battery (30 min after aroma exposure and during stress), post-stress (60 min after completing stress battery)
    • EEG frontal asymmetry (FA) is used to assess emotional state. EEG FA processing was completed by averaging local reference EEG filtered offline from 0.1 to 70 Hz (with 60 Hz notch filter). 5-min data periods during each time were segmented into 2 seconds epochs, and the semi-automatic artifact rejection was applied. The remaining artifact-free epochs were subjected to Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) . The power spectra for individual epochs were averaged, and the measures of EEG spectral density were obtained for alpha band (8 -12.99 Hz). Square root values of power were used, and frontal hemispheric asymmetry was calculated as ((L-R)/(L+R))*100, where L and R are square root values at the homologous left and right hemisphere sites (using local average reference values at F3 and F4). With this calculation, FA negative values reflect lower alpha power (higher activation) in the left hemisphere linked to a more positive mood. This is a unit-free measure.
  • Cognitive Performance: Percent Change From Baseline in Digit Span Backward Task Score
    • Time Frame: Baseline (60 min prior to aroma exposure and stress), post-stress (60 min after completing stress battery)
    • Percent change from baseline in cognitive performance score on the Digit Span Backward (DSB) task. DSB scores range from 0 to 16, with greater scores indicative of better cognitive function. Positive change from baseline indicates better functioning.

Participating in This Clinical Trial

Inclusion Criteria

  • in good physical and cognitive health – reporting moderate level of stress – able to perceive aromas – able to understand and follow study instructions Exclusion Criteria:

  • taking medications affecting central nervous system (CNS) function or physiologic measures (e.g. steroids or neuroleptics) – reporting smell sensitivities or allergies – smoking presently or in the past less than one year prior to enrollment

Gender Eligibility: All

Minimum Age: 50 Years

Maximum Age: 85 Years

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Investigator Details

  • Lead Sponsor
    • Oregon Health and Science University
  • Provider of Information About this Clinical Study
    • Principal Investigator: Barry S. Oken, Professor – Oregon Health and Science University
  • Overall Official(s)
    • Barry S Oken, MD, Principal Investigator, Oregon Health and Science University

Citations Reporting on Results

Chamine I, Oken BS. Aroma Effects on Physiologic and Cognitive Function Following Acute Stress: A Mechanism Investigation. J Altern Complement Med. 2016 Sep;22(9):713-21. doi: 10.1089/acm.2015.0349. Epub 2016 Jun 29.

Chamine I, Oken BS. Expectancy of stress-reducing aromatherapy effect and performance on a stress-sensitive cognitive task. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2015;2015:419812. doi: 10.1155/2015/419812. Epub 2015 Jan 31.

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