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Case study: The effects of selected essential oils on mood, concentration and sleep in a group of 10 students monitored for 5 weeks
... Aromatherapeutic essential oils produce physiological and psychological effects, including sleep and mood changes, though most data obtain from case reports and small studies (Buckle, 2001;Gyllenhaal et al., 2000;Price and Price, 1999;Tisserand, 1988). For example, exposure to various essential oils improved sleep-including decreased time awake, increased total sleep time and efficiency and reduced daytime sleepiness-in young, elderly, and demented subjects (Connell et al., 2001;Hardy, 1991;Henry et al., 1994;Hudson, 1996;Raudenbush et al., 2003;Sano et al., 1998;Svoboda et al., 2002;Wolfe and Herzberg, 1996). More recently, lavender, a sedating odor, increased deep or slow-wave PSG sleep in healthy young adults (Goel et al., 2005). ...
... Peppermint increased SWS in those perceiving it as very intense, in contrast with our predictions and other findings reporting stimulating effects of peppermint (Badia et al., 1990;Carskadon and Herz, 2004;Klemm et al., 1992;Norrish and Dwyer, 2005;Stampi et al., 1996;Sullivan et al., 1998;Torii et al., 1988;Warm et al., 1991). This SWS increase in subjects perceiving peppermint as intense, however, corroborates other reports of improved sleep following odor exposure (Connell et al., 2001;Goel et al., 2005;Hardy, 1991;Henry et al., 1994;Hudson, 1996;Raudenbush et al., 2003;Sano et al., 1998;Svoboda et al., 2002;Wolfe and Herzberg, 1996). Therefore, peppermint has sleep-promoting effects in a subset of subjects, underscoring the importance of perceptual odor interpretation. ...
Peppermint, a stimulating odor, increases alertness while awake and therefore may inhibit sleep. This study examined peppermint's effects on polysomnographic (PSG) sleep, alertness, and mood when presented before bedtime. Twenty-one healthy sleepers (mean age +/- S.D., 20.1 +/- 2.0 years) completed three consecutive laboratory sessions (adaptation, control, and stimulus nights). Peppermint reduced fatigue and improved mood and was rated as more pleasant, intense, stimulating, and elating than water. These perceptual qualities associated with sleep measures: subjects rating peppermint as very intense had more total sleep than those rating it as moderately intense, and also showed more slow-wave sleep (SWS) in the peppermint than control session. Furthermore, subjects who found peppermint stimulating showed more NREM and less REM sleep while those rating it as sedating took longer to reach SWS. Peppermint did not affect PSG sleep, however, when these perceptual qualities were not considered. Peppermint also produced gender-differentiated responses: it increased NREM sleep in women, but not men, and alertness in men, but not women, compared with the control. Thus, psychological factors, including individual differences in odor perception play an important role in physiological sleep and self-rated mood and alertness changes.
... Several other studies report improved sleep-including decreased time awake, increased total time asleep, and reduced daytime sleepiness-following lavender presentation before and during sleep in elderly and demented subjects (Hardy, 1991;Henry et al., 1994;Hudson, 1996;Wolfe and Herzberg, 1996). Other essential oils have produced similar effects in young and older adults (Connell et al., 2001;Raudenbush et al., 2003;Sano et al., 1998;Svoboda et al., 2002). However, these studies were uncontrolled, had small sample sizes, and used subjective evaluations. ...
... The predicted SWS increase corroborates previous reports of improved sleep quality following exposure to lavender (Hardy, 1991;Henry et al., 1994;Hudson, 1996;Wolfe and Herzberg, 1996) or other odors (Connell et al., 2001;Raudenbush et al., 2003;Sano et al., 1998;Svoboda et al., 2002). While these earlier studies contained methodological drawbacks, our results demonstrate lavender's sleep-promoting effects using a larger sample and objective sleep measures. ...
Aromatherapy is an anecdotal method for modifying sleep and mood. However, whether olfactory exposure to essential oils affects night-time objective sleep remains untested. Previous studies also demonstrate superior olfactory abilities in women. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of an olfactory stimulus on subsequent sleep and assessed gender differences in such effects. Thirty-one young healthy sleepers (16 men and 15 women, aged 18 to 30 yr, mean+/-SD, 20.5+/-2.4 yr) completed 3 consecutive overnight sessions in a sleep laboratory: one adaptation, one stimulus, and one control night (the latter 2 nights in counterbalanced order). Subjects received an intermittent presentation (first 2 min of each 10 min interval) of an olfactory (lavender oil) or a control (distilled water) stimulus between 23:10 and 23:40 h. Standard polysomnographic sleep and self-rated sleepiness and mood data were collected. Lavender increased the percentage of deep or slow-wave sleep (SWS) in men and women. All subjects reported higher vigor the morning after lavender exposure, corroborating the restorative SWS increase. Lavender also increased stage 2 (light) sleep, and decreased rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep and the amount of time to reach wake after first falling asleep (wake after sleep onset latency) in women, with opposite effects in men. Thus, lavender serves as a mild sedative and has practical applications as a novel, nonphotic method for promoting deep sleep in young men and women and for producing gender-dependent sleep effects.
The present review demonstrates that EOs and their components have many functional properties and exert their action in mammals as well as in other organisms (insects, fungi, bacteria and viruses). The synergistic effect of EO components is a promising field that could lead to the optimisation of a given bioactivity. This phenomenon has been observed in many activities, such as those of antimicrobials, antioxidants, analgesics and semiochemicals. EOs are complex mixtures of components that show higher activities than their isolated components; their final activities are due to the combine effects of several minor components. Thus, EOs contain multifunctional components that exert their activities through different mechanisms. EOs and their components may have new applications against various diseases of different origins (cancer, fungal, bacterial or viral), because some of these complex diseases require multiple components and multifunctional therapies.
The natural product industry is actively seeking natural therapeutics, preservatives, repellents and other agents that can replace synthetic compounds. The scientific literature has identified new applications and uses of both traditional and exotic EOs. These applications can ultimately assist growers and rural communities in the developing world to increase interest in their products.
This paper reflects the results of a qualitative study recently undertaken by the author, in which the consequences of attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) and the validity of employing essential oils as a complementary therapy to assist in its management were explored. The original study involved six semi-structured interviews with the parents of boys aged 11–14 years. The subjects attended Wennington Hall (EBD) School, having been Statemented as presenting with emotional and behavioural difficulties, in particular, ADHD: (section 168 of the Education Act 1993 and the Education (Special Educational Needs) Regulation 1994). A literature search was conducted and experts in the field of aromatherapy were questioned.Based on the results of this project, a synthesis of research, opinion and experience has been presented here: first exploring the aetiology and consequences of ADHD; then discussing the use of essential oils within this context. The author concluded that essential oils could have a valid role in the management of ADHD, and presented the results gleaned from her research study and personal experience with the intention of assisting fellow professional aromatherapists, parents, teachers, carers and potential researchers.
The use of complementary therapies, such as massage and aromatherapy massage, is rising in popularity among patients and healthcare professionals. They are increasingly being used to improve the quality of life of patients, but there is little evidence of their efficacy. This study assessed the effects of massage and aromatherapy massage on cancer patients in a palliative care setting. We studied 103 patients, who were randomly allocated to receive massage using a carrier oil (massage) or massage using a carrier oil plus the Roman chamomile essential oil (aromatherapy massage). Outcome measurements included the Rotterdam Symptom Checklist (RSCL), the State–Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and a semi-structured questionnaire, administered 2 weeks postmassage, to explore patients' perceptions of massage.
There was a statistically significant reduction in anxiety after each massage on the STAI (P < 0.001), and improved scores on the RSCL: psychological (P < 0.001), quality of life (P < 0.01), severe physical (P < 0.05), and severe psychological (P < 0.05) subscales for the combined aromatherapy and massage group. The aromatherapy group's scores improved on all RSCL subscales at the 1% level of significance or better, except for severely restricted activities. The massage group's scores improved on four RSCL subscales but these improvements did not reach statistical significance.
Massage with or without essential oils appears to reduce levels of anxiety. The addition of an essential oil seems to enhance the effect of massage and to improve physical and psychological symptoms, as well as overall quality of life.
Clinical research into the effectiveness of any therapy usually progresses in a series of steps that are aimed at providing evidence that will lead to improved patient care. One important early step is the uncontrolled trial. Uncontrolled trials serve several crucial purposes, including establishing firmly that there is a clinical effect worth investigating, identifying the most suitable patients and the most appropriate treatments, and providing information on how large the effect might be. They can be conducted relatively easily by practitioners in the course of their normal work, and are an excellent first step for anyone interested in clinical research. Such studies are not only satisfying, but develop skills in searching the literature and writing protocols, and promote rigorous thinking and attention to detail. The ultimate purpose of uncontrolled trials is to facilitate subsequent definitive studies that will help define the place of CAM in health care.
Essential oils of lavender, sweet marjoram, patchouli and vetiver were blended into an aqueous cream (content of essential oil blend = 3.5ml/100g aqueous cream) and 5g was gently massaged five times/day onto the bodies and limbs of 56 aged care facility residents (age range 70–92 years) with moderate to severe dementia. Participants were divided into two groups and following a baseline period in which there was first no massage at all, followed by massage with cream only, the groups received 4 weeks of massage with cream and essential oils or 4 weeks of massage with cream alone, and then received the other treatment for 4 weeks. Full data sets over the trial period were available for 36 participants. During the period of oil application, both groups showed a significant decrease in the average frequency and severity of dementia-related behaviours occurring at times other than during nursing care, compared to during the baseline and the ‘no oil’ periods. Resistance to nursing care procedures increased, however, for participants in one of the gr oups during the essential oil application period, which may reflect increased mental alertness and awareness caused by the oils. A possible increase in mental alertness and cognitive function was also suggested by a small but significant improvement in Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores after the essential oil treatment period for the seven residents who scored above 0 on the MMSE.
Eight female participants used the essential oil of Santalum album, East Indian Sandalwood, as a perfume daily for a week. Their self-perceived effects were analyzed for common experiences, using the grounded theory method. Four categories of the experience were developed into an initial theory of the effects of sandalwood. It was found that sandalwood did have self-perceived effects, which varied with initial psychological state and emporal factors. The observed self-perceived effects of calming, ability to manage and well being have limited co-relation with claimed therapeutic effects. A further self-perceived effect, uplifting, was observed such that further investigation is required. This study is a demonstration of the initial steps of a holistic research model that would allow for aromatherapy, essential oils, their therapeutic effects and the experience of their use to be researched. Thus a sound scientific knowledge base for the profession of aromatherapy, relevant to its practice can be developed.
Objective:
To determine the following features of randomized trials in complementary medicine: the extent to which they are indexed on Medline, the journals in which they are published, dates of publication, the therapies and conditions most commonly the focus of study.
Design:
Bibliometric analysis of the registry of randomized trials of the Cochrane Collaboration field in Complementary Medicine. Outcome measures: The number of trials in each category.
Results:
There were 3774 randomized trials on the registry of which 3072 (81%) were indexed on Medline. However, only about a third of these references could be easily found with a Medline search. Trials were published in a total of 965 different journals. Most trials (84%) were published in a conventional medical journal. The number of trials is increasing rapidly, having approximately doubled every 5 year period since 1965. There was a large variation in the number of trials for different complementary therapies. There were a high number of trials in acupuncture (554), herbal medicine (804) and meditation and relaxation techniques (643) but few trials in aromatherapy (47) and osteopathy (18). There were many trials in cardiovascular disease (501), musculoskeletal disorders (386) and surgery-related symptoms (293), but few in fatigue disorders (11).
Conclusion:
Medline is an incomplete source of randomized trials in complementary medicine. Searching of Medline could be significantly enhanced by changes to keywords and improved data on type of publication. The conditions and therapies subject to trials in complementary medicine do not provide an accurate reflection of clinical practice.
The definition of aromatherapy as well as the aromatherapeutical uses of fragrance compounds and essential oils are discussed. Various methods—mainly physiological—to investigate the efficacy of fragrances are shown.
'Aromatherapy' is one of the most actively growing forms of alternative medicine combining massage together with counselling and a nice odour. Most clients suffer from some kind of stress-related disorder and aromatherapy encourages the healing process largely through relaxation and the relief of stress. Stress is also a major problem in hospitals, hospices and homes for the aged and physically or mentally-challenged. Aromatherapy is welcomed by nurses who want to be closer to their patient and doctors who can refer patients with stress-related disorders who do not respond to conventional medicines.
The actual mode of action of essential oils in vivo is still far from known, although there is strong in vitro evidence that essential oils can act as an antimicrobial or antioxidant agent or have a pharmacological effect on various tissues. Studies have shown that essential oils have an effect on brainwaves and can also alter behaviour. It is possible that most of the effect of the oils is probably transmitted through the brain via the olfactory system. Used professionally and safely, aromatherapy can be of great benefit as an adjunct to conventional medicine or used simply as an alternative.
Aromatherapy is a branch of complementary or alternative therapy which is increasing in popularity, yet has scant scientific credibility. Aromatherapy should be defined as treatment using odours and practised as such. However, essential oils are usually used in conjunction with massage and often combined with counselling of some kind. The use of most commonly-used essential oils in massage is seldom dangerous, as they have low systemic toxicity, especially when used at 2% dilution (provided they are not adulterated); however their safety during pregnancy, childbirth and babies has not been clearly demonstrated. Sensitisation, however, is a growing concern. Some aromatherapists are now introducing novel plant essential oils, extracts and phytols into their massage routine many of which have no odour and are potentially toxic. The possible dangers of these plant products are therefore discussed using specific example.
Clinical research into the effectiveness of any therapy usually progresses in a series of steps that are aimed at providing evidence that will lead to improved patient care. One important early step is the uncontrolled trial. Uncontrolled trials serve several crucial purposes, including establishing firmly that there is a clinical effect worth investigating, identifying the most suitable patients and the most appropriate treatments, and providing information on how large the effect might be. They can be conducted relatively easily by practitioners in the course of their normal work, and are an excellent first step for anyone interested in clinical research. Such studies are not only satisfying, but develop skills in searching the literature and writing protocols, and promote rigorous thinking and attention to detail. The ultimate purpose of uncontrolled trials is to facilitate subsequent definitive studies that will help define the place of CAM in health care.