A randomised controlled trial of Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia) and Lemon Balm (Melissa Officinalis) essential oils for the treatment of agitated behaviour in older people with and without dementia

Lavender and Lemon Balm essential oils are popular in the management of older person agitation due to their ease of application, minimal side effects and low interaction with concurrent medications. This study addressed limitations in the literature to evaluate and compare effectiveness of Lavender...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Complementary therapies in medicine 2019-02, Vol.42, p.366-373
Main Authors: Watson, Karen, Hatcher, Deborah, Good, Anthony
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Aged, 80 and over
Aggressive behavior
Agitation
Anxiety
Anxiety - complications
Aromatherapy
Behavior disorders
Clinical trials
Cognitive ability
Dementia
Dementia - complications
Dementia disorders
Depression - complications
Elder care
Essential oils
Evidence-based medicine
Female
Homes for the Aged
Human behavior
Humans
Lavanduala angustifolia
Lavandula - chemistry
Lavender
Lavender oil
Lemon Balm
Male
Medical research
Melissa - chemistry
Melissa officinalis
Nervous system
Nursing Homes
Oils, Volatile - therapeutic use
Older people
Plant Extracts - therapeutic use
Plant Oils - therapeutic use
Psychomotor Agitation - drug therapy
Psychomotor Agitation - etiology
Psychotropic drugs
Side effects
Sunflower oil
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Summary:Lavender and Lemon Balm essential oils are popular in the management of older person agitation due to their ease of application, minimal side effects and low interaction with concurrent medications. This study addressed limitations in the literature to evaluate and compare effectiveness of Lavender and Lemon Balm essential oils on the agitated behaviour of older people with and without dementia living in residential aged care facilities [RACFs]. Forty-nine nursing home residents with dementia (n=39) and without dementia (n=10) exhibiting agitation participated in this study. Participants were randomised to a counterbalanced, repeated measures design experiment that tests the treatments Lavender, Lemon Balm, and Placebo (Sunflower oil). Treatments were administered once daily for two-weeks followed by a two-week washout period before commencing the subsequent treatment. All participants trialed all three treatments over a 10-week period. Data were collected on the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI) and Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CMAI). A significant difference was shown when essential oils effect were compared between the cognitive groups. Post hoc analysis reports Lemon Balm more effective in reducing NPI agitation (p = .04) and CMAI physical non-aggressive behaviour (PNAB) (p = .02) in residents without dementia. Lemon Balm less effective in reducing NPI irritability (p = 0.01) and Lavender more effective in reducing CMAI PNAB (p = 0.04) in dementia. The findings support an opposing effect of Lemon Balm and Lavender in reducing agitated behaviour between the participant cognitive groups. There was no reduction in agitation with treatments when compared to placebo independent of cognitive groups.
ISSN:0965-2299
1873-6963
DOI:10.1016/j.ctim.2018.12.016