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The purpose of this study is to examine the body's response to relaxing and stimulating fragrances commonly used in aromatherapy.
Despite aromatherapy's popularity, efficacy data are scant, and potential mechanisms are controversial. This randomized controlled trial examined the psychological, autonomic, endocrine, and immune consequences of one purported relaxant odor (lavender), one stimulant odor (lemon), and a no-odor control (water), before and after a stressor (cold pressor); 56 healthy men and women were exposed to each of the odors during three separate visits. To assess the effects of expectancies, participants randomized to the "blind" condition were given no information about the odors they would smell; "primed" individuals were told what odors they would smell during the session, and what changes to expect. Experimenters were blind.
In each case we measured several different aspects of the cellular immune response, as well as skin barrier repair following tape stripping. This design allowed us to examine the ability of the odors to modulate endocrine and immune function, and health-relevant cutaneous responses.
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| Label | Type | Description | Intervention Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lavender | Experimental |
| |
| Citrus | Experimental |
| |
| Water | Placebo Comparator |
|
| Name | Type | Description | Arm Group Labels | Other Names |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Exposure to relaxant and stimulant odors | Behavioral | A yellow-tinted cotton ball containing 100 ml of the essential oil or distilled water was taped between the nose and upper lip on top of a piece of surgical tape; use of the barrier tape avoided percutaneous absorption . This method provided continuous and uniform exposure across subjects that would not have been possible with ambient room inhalation, and helped maintain experimenter blindness. |
| Measure | Description | Time Frame |
|---|---|---|
| Cortisol and Catecholamine Production | Cortisol, norepinephrine, epinephrine measured before and after physical (cold pressor) stressor, which occurred at 11:00. | 3 Visits with at least 2 weeks between each. Average time to complete all visits was 64.46 days (SD 48.4). Cortisol: 9:05, 10:05, 10:55, 11:45, 12:15, 13:00. Nor/Epi: 9:05, 10:05, 10:55, 11:05, 11:45, 12:15 |
| Immune Function | Stimulated Cytokine Production (Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Interleukin-10 (IL-10)) measured before and after cold pressor stressor, which occurred at 11:00. | 3 Visits with at least 2 weeks between each. Average time to complete all visits was 64.46 days (SD 48.4). 9:05, 10:05, 11:45 |
| Skin Barrier Repair | TEWL (Transepidermal Water Loss, via tape stripping procedure)measured before and after cold pressor stressor (11:00). After obtaining baseline measurements on volar forearm, cellophane tape(3M Scotch-type; St. Paul, MN) was applied repeatedly (6-50 times) to remove superficial layer of cornified skin cells. Tape stripping stopped when TEWL was elevated from the basal level of 5-7 g/h/m2 to at least 20 g/h/m2. The number of strips required to reach TEWL X20 g/m2/h was the measure of barrier. TEWL was measured with a computerized evaporimetry instrument, the DermaLabs (CyberDERM, Media, PA). | 3 Visits with at least 2 weeks between each. Average time to complete all visits was 64.46 days (SD 48.4).10:05, 11:45, 13:15 |
| Immune Function: Delayed Hypersensitivity to Candida(DTH) | DTH memory responses to a common infectious agent provided a measure of T-cell immunity. Nurses inoculated subject's arm with 0.1ml Candida (stock solution diluted 1:20 in saline, Greer Labs, NC) intradermally, after the cold pressor stressor. The wheal diameter (2 dimensions) was self-assessed at 24, 48, and 72 hours by participants given detailed instructions and templates for measurement. | Day 1 11:45, Day 2 (24h) 11:45, Day 3 (48h) 11:45, Day 4 (72h) 11:45. |
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Inclusion Criteria:
Exclusion Criteria:
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| Name | Affiliation | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD | Ohio State University Institute for Biobehavioral Medicine Research | Principal Investigator |
| Facility | Status | City | State | ZIP | Country | Contacts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ohio State University Institute for Biobehavioral Medicine Research | Columbus | Ohio | 43210 | United States |
| PubMed Identifier | Type | Citation | Retractions |
|---|---|---|---|
| 18178322 | Result | Kiecolt-Glaser JK, Graham JE, Malarkey WB, Porter K, Lemeshow S, Glaser R. Olfactory influences on mood and autonomic, endocrine, and immune function. Psychoneuroendocrinology. 2008 Apr;33(3):328-39. doi: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2007.11.015. |
| Label | URL |
|---|---|
| Related Info | View source |
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We excluded individuals taking cardiovascular medications or medications with obvious immunological or endocrinological consequences. Additional exclusion criteria included perfume allergies, smoking, problems with smell/taste, respiratory problems, asthma, excessive alcohol/caffeine use.
Participants were recruited through ads posted in the Columbus, Ohio area.
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| ID | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| FG000 | Lavender Oil / Lemon Oil / Water Control | A yellow-tinted cotton ball containing 100 μL of the essential oil or water placebo was taped between the nose and upper lip. Within-subject design was used; each subject was exposed to each of the three odors (lemon, lavender, no odor). |
| Title | Milestones | Reasons Not Completed | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lavender |
| |||||||||||||
| Lemon |
| |||||||||||||
| Water (Control) |
|
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| ID | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| BG000 | Lavender Oil / Lemon Oil / Water Control | A yellow-tinted cotton ball containing 100 μL of the essential oil or water placebo was taped between the nose and upper lip. Within-subject design was used; each subject was exposed to each of the three odors (lemon, lavender, no odor). |
| Units | Counts |
|---|---|
| Participants |
|
| Title | Description | Population Description | Parameter Type | Dispersion Type | Unit of Measure | Calculate Percentage | Denominator Units Selected | Denominators | Classes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Categorical | Count of Participants |
| Type | Title | Description | Population Description | Reporting Status | Anticipated Posting Date | Parameter Type | Dispersion Type | Unit of Measure | Calculate Percentage | Time Frame | Units Analyzed | Denominator Units Selected | Arm/Group Information | Denominators | Classes | Analyses | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Primary | Cortisol and Catecholamine Production | Cortisol, norepinephrine, epinephrine measured before and after physical (cold pressor) stressor, which occurred at 11:00. | Posted | Mean | Standard Deviation | pg/ml (log 10) | 3 Visits with at least 2 weeks between each. Average time to complete all visits was 64.46 days (SD 48.4). Cortisol: 9:05, 10:05, 10:55, 11:45, 12:15, 13:00. Nor/Epi: 9:05, 10:05, 10:55, 11:05, 11:45, 12:15 |
|
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No serious or other adverse events were observed.
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| ID | Title | Description | Deaths (Affected) | Deaths (At Risk) | Serious Events (Affected) | Serious Events (At Risk) | Other Events (Affected) | Other Events (At Risk) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EG000 | Lavender Oil / Lemon Oil / Water Control | A yellow-tinted cotton ball containing 100 μL of the essential oil or water placebo was taped between the nose and upper lip. Within-subject design was used; each subject was exposed to each of the three odors (lemon, lavender, no odor). |
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| Title | Organization | Phone | Extension | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Janice K. Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD | The Ohio State University, Department of Psychiatry | 614-292-0033 | Kiecolt-Glaser.1@osu.edu |
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| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D001008 | Anxiety Disorders |
| D003863 | Depression |
| D000086582 | Anosmia |
| ID | Term |
|---|---|
| D001523 | Mental Disorders |
| D001526 | Behavioral Symptoms |
| D001519 | Behavior |
| D000857 | Olfaction Disorders |
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|
|
| Participants |
|
| Age Continuous | Mean | Standard Deviation | years |
|
| Sex: Female, Male | Count of Participants | Participants |
|
| Region of Enrollment | Number | participants |
|
A yellow-tinted cotton ball containing 100 μL of water was taped between the nose and upper lip. Within-subject design was used; each subject was exposed to each of the three odors (lemon, lavender, no odor).
| OG002 | Lemon | A yellow-tinted cotton ball containing 100 μL of water was taped between the nose and upper lip. Within-subject design was used; each subject was exposed to each of the three odors (lemon, lavender, no odor). |
|
|
|
| Primary | Immune Function | Stimulated Cytokine Production (Interleukin-6 (IL-6), Interleukin-10 (IL-10)) measured before and after cold pressor stressor, which occurred at 11:00. | Posted | Mean | Standard Deviation | pg/ml | 3 Visits with at least 2 weeks between each. Average time to complete all visits was 64.46 days (SD 48.4). 9:05, 10:05, 11:45 |
|
|
|
|
| Primary | Skin Barrier Repair | TEWL (Transepidermal Water Loss, via tape stripping procedure)measured before and after cold pressor stressor (11:00). After obtaining baseline measurements on volar forearm, cellophane tape(3M Scotch-type; St. Paul, MN) was applied repeatedly (6-50 times) to remove superficial layer of cornified skin cells. Tape stripping stopped when TEWL was elevated from the basal level of 5-7 g/h/m2 to at least 20 g/h/m2. The number of strips required to reach TEWL X20 g/m2/h was the measure of barrier. TEWL was measured with a computerized evaporimetry instrument, the DermaLabs (CyberDERM, Media, PA). | Posted | Mean | Standard Deviation | number tape strips | 3 Visits with at least 2 weeks between each. Average time to complete all visits was 64.46 days (SD 48.4).10:05, 11:45, 13:15 |
|
|
|
|
| Primary | Immune Function: Delayed Hypersensitivity to Candida(DTH) | DTH memory responses to a common infectious agent provided a measure of T-cell immunity. Nurses inoculated subject's arm with 0.1ml Candida (stock solution diluted 1:20 in saline, Greer Labs, NC) intradermally, after the cold pressor stressor. The wheal diameter (2 dimensions) was self-assessed at 24, 48, and 72 hours by participants given detailed instructions and templates for measurement. | Posted | Mean | Standard Deviation | mm^2 | Day 1 11:45, Day 2 (24h) 11:45, Day 3 (48h) 11:45, Day 4 (72h) 11:45. |
|
|
|
|
| 0 |
| 56 |
| 0 |
| 56 |
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| D012678 |
| Sensation Disorders |
| D009461 | Neurologic Manifestations |
| D009422 | Nervous System Diseases |
| D012816 | Signs and Symptoms |
| D013568 | Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms |
|
IL-10. Mixed effect linear models were used to test the hypothesis. These models included the post-odor and post-stress dependent variable measurements with a covariate for the baseline pre-odor measurement. Base 10 logarithms were used for each dependent variable and baseline covariate. |
| Mixed Models Analysis |
| 0.50 |
| 95 |
| No |
| Superiority or Other |
|