The Effects of Smell on Mood and Physical Responses

NCT ID: NCT00097253

Last Updated: 2010-02-18

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: COMPLETED
• Clinical Phase: PHASE1
• Total Enrollment: 56 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2005-08-31
• Study Completion Date: 2006-03-31

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to examine the body's response to relaxing and stimulating fragrances commonly used in aromatherapy.

Detailed Description

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.

Conditions

Stress; Anxiety; Depression

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: TREATMENT
• Blinding Strategy: DOUBLE

Study Groups

Lavender

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Exposure to relaxant and stimulant odors

Intervention Type: 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.

Citrus

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Exposure to relaxant and stimulant odors

Intervention Type: 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.

Water

Group Type: PLACEBO_COMPARATOR

Exposure to relaxant and stimulant odors

Intervention Type: 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.

Interventions

Exposure to relaxant and stimulant odors

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.

Intervention Type: BEHAVIORAL

Other Intervention Names

Citrus: lemon.

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Healthy adults with a normal sense of smell

Exclusion Criteria

• Treatment with medication that has immunological or endocrinological consequences
• Chronic health problems that affect immune or endocrine systems
• Allergy to perfume or cosmetics
• Problems with sense of smell
• Respiratory problems
• Smoker
• Current active asthma
• Use of psychoactive drugs or mood-altering medication
• History of anxiety disorder, major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, or other psychotic disorders
• History of chest pain or ventricular fibrillation

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 44 Years
• Eligible Sex: ALL
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)

NIH

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

The Ohio State University, Department of Psychiatry

Principal Investigators

Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD

Role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR

Ohio State University Institute for Biobehavioral Medicine Research

Locations

Ohio State University Institute for Biobehavioral Medicine Research

Columbus, Ohio, United States

Countries

United States

References

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.

Reference Type: RESULT

PMID: 18178322 (View on PubMed)

Related Links

http://www.stressandhealth.org/

Related Info

Other Identifiers

R21AT002122-01

Identifier Type: NIH

Identifier Source: org_study_id

View Link