The Effect of Aromatherapy Application on Cognitive Functions and Daytime Sleepiness in Older Adults Living in a Nursing Home

The Effect of Aromatherapy with Lavender Essential Oil on the Sleep and Fatigue Level of Patients with Multiple Sclerosis in Turkey: A Randomized Controlled Trial

BACKGROUND

Fatigue is a common problem in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and is one of the most serious symptoms of the disease. Although many factors play a role in the etiology of fatigue in patients with MS, it has been reported that fatigue is caused by irregular or disrupted sleep patterns.

AIM

The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of lavender oil aromatherapy on the sleep and fatigue of MS patients.

METHODS

The study was designed as a randomized controlled trial and was conducted in Turkey. The data of the study were collected using the Patient Description Form, Fatigue Severity Scale, and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index.

RESULTS

The mean FSS score in the experimental group was 6.86 ± 0.94 before the procedure and 3.42 ± 0.85 after the procedure, the mean PSQI score was 9.45 ± 1.23 before the procedure and 6.68 ± 2.87 after the procedure, and the difference in the mean scores between the two groups was found to be statistically significant (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

The results showed that aromatherapy with lavender essential oil has significant impacts on fatigue and sleep in MS patients. Lavender essential oil aromatherapy can be used by nurses as an independent nursing practice. It is an inexpensive, noninvasive, and reliable technique to manage fatigue in individuals with MS.

Lavender Essential Oil Inhalation Improves Attentional Shifting and Accuracy: Evidence from Dynamic Changes of Cognitive Flexibility and Power Spectral Density of Electroencephalogram Signals

Background

Cognitive flexibility, a vital component of executive function, entails the utilization of extended brain networks. Olfactory stimulation has been shown to influence various brain functions, particularly cognitive performance.

Method

To investigate aroma inhalation's effects on brain activity dynamics associated with cognitive flexibility, 20 healthy adults were recruited to complete a set-shifting task during two experimental conditions: no aroma stimuli vs. lavender essential oil inhalation. Using Thomson's multitaper approach, the normalized power spectral density (NPSD) was assessed for five frequency bands.

Results

Findings confirm that aroma inhalation significantly affects behavioral indices (i.e., reaction time (RT) and response accuracy) and electroencephalogram (EEG) signatures, especially in the frontal lobe. Participants showed a tremendous increase in theta and alpha NPSD, associated with relaxation, along with beta NPSD, associated with clear and fast thinking after inhaling the aroma. NPSD of the delta band, an indicator of the unconscious mind, significantly decreased when stimulated with lavender essential oil. Further, participants exhibited shorter RT and more accurate responses following aroma inhalation.

Conclusion

Our findings revealed significant changes in oscillatory power and behavioral performance after aroma inhalation, providing neural evidence that olfactory stimulation with lavender essential oil may facilitate cognitive flexibility.

Effect of a lavender essential oil and sleep hygiene protocol on insomnia in postmenopausal women: A pilot randomized clinical trial

INTRODUCTION

Insomnia and vasomotor symptoms are frequently experienced during the menopausal transition and in postmenopause, worsening sleep maintenance and quality of life. Our study evaluated the use of lavender essential oil and sleep hygiene guidance on quality of life, sleep patterns and self-reported hot flashes in postmenopausal women with insomnia diagnosis.

METHODS

This study is part of a larger experimental, double-blind, randomized controlled trial. We included 35 postmenopausal women with a diagnosis of insomnia who were distributed in two groups: A Placebo group (sunflower oil) and an Aroma group (Lavandula angustifolia essential oil); both inhaled the oils before bedtime for 29 days. The groups received sleep hygiene guidelines and weekly follow-up. Validated questionnaires were used to assess the effect of the intervention, and a sleep diary was used to assess sleep onset latency (SOL), total sleep time (TST), and sleep efficiency (SE) daily. Participants who complained of vasomotor symptoms at baseline kept a daily record of their frequency and intensity.

RESULTS

All participants benefited in almost all domains of quality of life and in the self-assessed TST and SE. The Aroma group achieved a significant improvement in their overall quality of life score over time. No differences were observed in respect of the hot flashes record and daytime sleepiness.

CONCLUSIONS

The aromatherapy intervention was effective in improving the overall quality of life in the Aroma group. Moreover, the sleep diary and sleep hygiene instructions helped all participants to, respectively, self-assess and improve their sleep patterns.

Deciphering Neuroprotective Effect of Rosmarinus officinalis L. (syn. Salvia rosmarinus Spenn.) through Preclinical and Clinical Studies

Rosmarinus officinalis L. (RO, rosemary) is a well-known medicinal, aromatic, and culinary herb with traditional use in European folk medicine against memory deficits and neurodegenerative disorders. This review highlights the different neuroprotective activities of RO investigated in both preclinical and clinical studies, as well as in silico molecular docking of bioactive compounds found in RO. The neuroprotective effect of RO was searched through databases including PubMed, Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, and Clinical Trials using the keywords "Rosmarinus officinalis, rosemary, neuroprotective effect, memory, cognitive dysfunction, Alzheimer's disease." RO, which is rich in secondary metabolites that have memory-enhancing potential, has displayed neuroprotection through different molecular mechanisms such as inhibition of cholinesterase, modulation of dopaminergic and oxytocinergic systems, mediation of oxidative and inflammatory proteins, involved in neuropathic pain, among others. RO extracts exhibited antidepressant and anxiolytic activities. Also, the plant has shown efficacy in scopolamine-, lipopolysaccharide-, AlCl3-, and H2O2-induced amnesia as well as amyloid-beta- and ibotenic acid-induced neurotoxicity and chronic constriction injury-related oxidative stress memory and cognitive impairments in animal models. A few clinical studies available supported the neuroprotective effects of RO and its constituents. However, more clinical studies are needed to confirm results from preclinical studies further and should include not only placebo-controlled studies but also studies including positive controls using approved drugs. Many studies underlined that constituents of RO may have the potential for developing drug candidates against Alzheimer's disease that possess high bioavailability, low toxicity, and enhanced penetration to CNS, as revealed from the experimental and molecular docking analysis.

The Effects of Inhalational Lavender Essential Oil Aromatherapy on Sleep Quality in Hemodialysis Patients: A Before-and-After-Intervention Trial

One of the most essential physical prerequisites for human survival is sleep. Patients undergoing hemodialysis often experience a lack of sleep, and it is one of the decisive variables in dialysis patients' quality of life. The objective of this study was to assess the effects of inhaling lavender essential oil on sleep quality in hemodialysis patients. A total of 30 patients were enrolled in the before-and-after intervention trial, which took place in a tertiary care hospital's dialysis unit. The study participants were selected using the purposive sampling technique and they received lavender oil inhalation therapy. The sleep quality was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The mean age of the participants was 55.11 (SD = 8.45) years. The mean posttherapy Pittsburgh Global Sleep Quality Index score was 8.8 ± 1.89 compared with the pretherapy score of 14.73 ± 1.53. Patients undergoing hemodialysis experienced a substantial improvement in sleep quality ( P < .05). Aromatherapy using lavender oil is effective in enhancing sleep quality in hemodialysis patients.

Effects of Non-Pharmacological Sleep Interventions in Older Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

This study investigated the effects of non-pharmacological interventions on sleep in older people through a systematic review and meta-analysis. We conducted a literature search using eight electronic databases according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses protocol. Participant characteristics, the contents of the evaluated interventions, and the measured outcomes were systematically reviewed for 15 selected studies. We performed a meta-analysis to estimate the effect size for overall, aggregated sleep outcomes. Due to the small number of studies available for each intervention, only the overall effectiveness of non-pharmacological sleep interventions was evaluated. The evaluated interventions included exercise, aromatherapy, acupressure, cognitive behavior therapy, and meditation. Our results demonstrated that non-pharmacological interventions showed statistically significant effects on sleep (effect size = 1.00, 95% confidence interval: 0.16, 1.85, I2 = 92%, p < 0.001). After confirming publication bias and removing outliers, we found no heterogeneity (I2 = 17%, p = 0.298), with a decrease in effect size to 0.70 (95% confidence interval: 0.47, 0.93). Non-pharmacological interventions are effective for improving sleep in older adults. Future studies should continue to investigate sleep problems and interventions addressing these problems in this demographic, particularly in older women. Objective measures should be used to follow-up on the evaluated sleep interventions over the long term.

Neuroprotective Potential of Aromatic Herbs: Rosemary, Sage, and Lavender

Hundreds of millions of people around the world suffer from neurological disorders or have experienced them intermittently, which has significantly reduced their quality of life. The common treatments for neurological disorders are relatively expensive and may lead to a wide variety of side effects including sleep attacks, gastrointestinal side effects, blood pressure changes, etc. On the other hand, several herbal medications have attracted colossal popularity worldwide in the recent years due to their availability, affordable prices, and few side effects. Aromatic plants, sage (Salvia officinalis), lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), and rosemary (Salvia Rosmarinus) have already shown anxiolytics, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and neuroprotective effects. They have also shown potential in treating common neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, migraine, and cognitive disorders. This review summarizes the data on the neuroprotective potential of aromatic herbs, sage, lavender, and rosemary.

Evaluation of the Effect of Lavender Aroma on Fatigue Among Hemodialysis Patients

Fatigue is a complication of hemodialysis (HD). We examined the effect of aromatherapy on fatigue in 62 HD patients. Data were collected using a questionnaire and the Piper Fatigue Scale. It was found that fatigue decreased in the intervention group (P < .05). Lavender aromatherapy is useful in reducing fatigue.