Effect of aromatherapy on patients with Alzheimer's disease.
OBJECTIVE
Recently, the importance of non-pharmacological therapies for dementia has come to the fore. In the present study, we examined the curative effects of aromatherapy in dementia in 28 elderly people, 17 of whom had Alzheimer's disease (AD).


METHODS
After a control period of 28 days, aromatherapy was performed over the following 28 days, with a wash out period of another 28 days. Aromatherapy consisted of the use of rosemary and lemon essential oils in the morning, and lavender and orange in the evening. To determine the effects of aromatherapy, patients were evaluated using the Japanese version of the Gottfries, Brane, Steen scale (GBSS-J), Functional Assessment Staging of Alzheimer's disease (FAST), a revised version of Hasegawa's Dementia Scale (HDS-R), and the Touch Panel-type Dementia Assessment Scale (TDAS) four times: before the control period, after the control period, after aromatherapy, and after the washout period.


RESULTS
All patients showed significant improvement in personal orientation related to cognitive function on both the GBSS-J and TDAS after therapy. In particular, patients with AD showed significant improvement in total TDAS scores. Result of routine laboratory tests showed no significant changes, suggesting that there were no side-effects associated with the use of aromatherapy. Results from Zarit's score showed no significant changes, suggesting that caregivers had no effect on the improved patient scores seen in the other tests.


CONCLUSIONS
In conclusion, we found aromatherapy an efficacious non-pharmacological therapy for dementia. Aromatherapy may have some potential for improving cognitive function, especially in AD patients.
Jimbo
Daiki
D
Department of Biological Regulation, School of Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, Tottori University, Yonago, Japan.
Kimura
Yuki
Y
Taniguchi
Miyako
M
Inoue
Masashi
M
Urakami
Katsuya
K
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D019341:Aromatherapy; D001143:Arousal; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D015140:Dementia, Vascular / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D027523:Lavandula; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000627:therapeutic use; D027542:Rosmarinus; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010938:Plant Oils; C053775:rosemary oil; C087245:orange oil; C501365:lemon oil; C045718:lavender oil