Direct Application of Specially Formulated Scent Compositions (AromaStick®) Prolongs Attention and Enhances Visual Scanning Speed

Scent-driven Selective Attention on Gambling Outcome: Implications for Responsible Gambling

Many casinos diffuse a pleasant ambient scent into their facilities as a customer experience management practice, but the ethics of this scenting process is questionable. Although the effect of a pleasant scent on cognitive, emotional, and behavioral responses has been well-documented, its effect on attention during gambling has yet to be explored. Grounded in the tenets of the top-down control of attention and cross-modal correspondence between vision and olfaction, we conduct two eye-tracking experiments that involve different electronic casino games including video slots and live Cussec. The findings consistently show that pleasant ambient scent prolongs attention and induces more frequent attention to the win/loss areas on the video screen. The findings add to the implications related to responsible gambling by inspiring the stakeholders to consider the use of ambient scent in the gambling environment. Theoretically, the findings offer insights into scent as the catalyst that directs attention to goal-related information, while scent and goal do not need to be congruent in traits.

Advancements in Fatigue Detection: Integrating fNIRS and Non-Voluntary Attention Brain Function Experiments

BACKGROUND

Driving fatigue is a significant concern in contemporary society, contributing to a considerable number of traffic accidents annually. This study explores novel methods for fatigue detection, aiming to enhance driving safety.

METHODS

This study utilizes electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to monitor driver fatigue during simulated driving experiments lasting up to 7 h.

RESULTS

Analysis reveals a significant correlation between behavioral data and hemodynamic changes in the prefrontal lobe, particularly around the 4 h mark, indicating a critical period for driver performance decline. Despite a small participant cohort, the study's outcomes align closely with established fatigue standards for drivers.

CONCLUSIONS

By integrating fNIRS into non-voluntary attention brain function experiments, this research demonstrates promising efficacy in accurately detecting driving fatigue. These findings offer insights into fatigue dynamics and have implications for shaping effective safety measures and policies in various industrial settings.

Benefit of inhalation aromatherapy as a complementary treatment for stress and anxiety in a clinical setting – A systematic review

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this systematic review is to ascertain the impact of inhalation aromatherapy on stress and anxiety in clinical settings.

METHODS

A search strategy was developed using various databases. Randomised Controlled Trials (RCTs) as well as single and double-blind pilot clinical studies (non-RCT) using inhalation aromatherapy with an essential oil blend or a single essential oil were examined. All studies included a control intervention and use of a validated measurement tool. The time period under review was years 2000-2021. Due to the high level of heterogeneity and element of bias, a narrative synthesis was conducted.

RESULTS

The search strategy initially retrieved 628 studies and through application of the selection criteria and the removal of duplicates, 76 studies were selected for review with a total of 6539 patients. In 42% of the RCTs, physiological measures including vital signs and/or salivary cortisol were used in addition to questionnaires. Over 70% of the studies reported a positive effect on anxiety levels in the aromatherapy intervention groups compared with the control. However, in many cases this is limited by the absence of safety data, imprecise reporting of plant species and dosage of essential oil.

CONCLUSION

Inhalation aromatherapy has the potential to reduce stress and anxiety with data emerging to further support this result across a wide modality of clinical treatments. However, there is a clear need for the development of standard protocols for research in this area, generating measurable results which will create the opportunity for more rigorous evidence-based outcomes.

Natural Odor Inhalers (AromaStick®) Outperform Red Bull® for Enhancing Cognitive Vigilance: Results From a Four-Armed, Randomized Controlled Study

Two recent publications demonstrated that specifically designed essential odor inhalers can enhance performance through (a) better selective attention and scanning speed and (b) physiological changes of increased heart rate variability and blood oxygenation. In this study, we compared two natural odor inhalers with a popular energy drink (Red Bull®) with regard to their ability to improve vigilance on a computerized attention test. We employed a four-armed, randomized controlled experimental design and used a modified version of the CompACT-Vi test module to investigate whether deep inhalations of essential oil scents improved vigilance. Both inhalers markedly improved the number of correctly identified targets and participants' reaction time when compared to a control condition and consumption of Red Bull® (0.9 < d < 1.3). Additionally, the number of correctly solved mathematical sums during the second half of the vigilance test was substantially higher (d = 1.3) with the use of inhalers than for the control and Red Bull participants. Inhaler use was also associated with relatively increased heart rate variability (d = 1.0) as a mechanism of adapting to the experimental demands. Thus, short and deep inhalations of essential oil scents delivered directly to the nose improved vigilance, while a popular energy drink failed to show an effect beyond that of a control group receiving no stimulant.

Medical aromatherapy revisited-Basic mechanisms, critique, and a new development

OBJECTIVE

According to a series of recent meta-analyses and systematic reviews, aromatherapy has shown to be effective in treating patients with different medical conditions. However, many of the clinical studies are of rather low methodological quality. Moreover, there is much conceptual ambiguity with regard to what aromatherapy actually constitutes.

METHOD

In this paper, we discuss the conditions under which aromatherapy is most likely to be of medical value by outlining the workings of the olfactory system and the necessary requirements of odors to be therapeutic. We then introduce an aromatherapeutic inhaler that was tested in a series of studies involving 465 participants.

RESULTS

This inhaler (AromaStick®) produced large to very large effects across a variety of physiological target systems (e.g., cardiovascular, endocrine, blood oxygenation, and pain), both short term and long term.

DISCUSSION

Inhalation of volatile compounds from essential oils yields almost immediate, large, and clinically relevant effects as long as the scents are delivered highly concentrated from an appropriate device. The changes caused in the body seem side effect-free and can be sustained when inhalation is repeated.