The Effects of Smell on Mood and Physical Responses

Psychoneuroimmunology and Mind-Body Medicine: Olfaction, Mood, and Physiological Responses

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

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Depression; Stress; Anxiety
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Exposure to relaxant and stimulant odors

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.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 56
• Phase: Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Ohio
    • Columbus, Ohio, United States, 43210
      • Ohio State University Institute for Biobehavioral Medicine Research

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 44 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

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

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Crossover Assignment
• Masking: Double

Number of Arms

3

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: Water	Behavioral: 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.; Other Names: Citrus: lemon.
Experimental: Lavender	Behavioral: 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.; Other Names: Citrus: lemon.
Experimental: Citrus	Behavioral: 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.; Other Names: Citrus: lemon.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	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.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, PhD, Ohio State University Institute for Biobehavioral Medicine Research

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• 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.

Helpful Links

• Related Info

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: August 1, 2005
• Primary Completion (Actual): March 1, 2006
• Study Completion (Actual): March 1, 2006

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 19, 2004
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 19, 2004
• First Posted (Estimate): November 22, 2004

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimate): February 18, 2010
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 12, 2010
• Last Verified: February 1, 2010

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Aromatherapy; Smell
• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Behavioral Symptoms; Depression; Physiological Effects of Drugs; Central Nervous System Stimulants
• Other Study ID Numbers: R21AT002122-01 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)