MANCHESTER, England, Dec 05, 2002 (United Press International via COMTEX) -- Patients suffering from dementia might benefit from the soothing effects of aromatherapy and light therapy, a new report released Thursday suggests.
A review on recent research, conducted by Alistair Burns, a professor of old age psychiatry at the University of Manchester and at Wythenshawe Hospital, found these two types of alternative remedies may help with some of the behavioral problems among dementia patients.
In the review, which appears in the Dec. 7 issue of the British Medical Journal, Burns looked at three studies testing aromatherapy and three studies testing bright-light therapy. All either were double-blinded or randomized placebo studies.
One study compared aromatherapy and massage, aromatherapy and conversation and massage alone, for example. Aromatherapy involves stimulating the senses through the use of essential oils. Bright-light therapy is used to treat seasonal mood disorder and involves sitting in front of a light box giving off intense light, which usually is significantly brighter than office or household lighting.
When compared to a placebo, aromatherapy using oils such as sunflower oil, lemon balm, or lavender oil was found to be very beneficial in reducing agitation, a common symptom of dementia. These oils were delivered either through the skin or inhalation.
Among the bright-light therapy studies, those who received the bright-light treatment showed significant reductions in sleep disturbances and physical restlessness, also common symptoms of dementia.
Typically, medications such as neuroleptics, which affect the brain, or sedatives are used to calm dementia patients, but these prescription drugs also come with side effects.
Burns, who did not respond to interview requests from United Press International, wrote in his review that the findings indicate aromatherapy and bright-light therapy could be viable alternative treatments for dementia patients without the worry of unwanted side effects.
"People with dementia are among the most vulnerable in our society," Burns wrote. "Symptoms often need to be treated expediently, and drugs, although moderately effective, can be hazardous. Aromatherapy and bright-light treatment seem to be safe and effective and may have an important role in managing behavioral problems in people with dementia."
Cherisse Gigli, a certified clinical aromatherapist practitioner in Paterson, N.J., and a spokeswoman for the National Association for Holistic Aromatherpy, said aromatherapy is an untapped resource and scientists are just beginning to study it more deeply.
"I know on the oil of rosemary, there have been studies done, and it has been shown to improve the memory of patients with Alzheimer's, so that's something that definitely would be applied right there," Gigli told UPI. "There's actually a piece of our brain that stems in our nose and it picks up the molecules," produced by essential oils, she explained. When the nose smells the scent and signals the brain, it can conjure up pleasant memories for patients or improve mood, she added. Aromatherapy is not "just candles."
Another benefit to bright-light therapy and aromatherapy is that the effects tend to be instantaneous, said Kelly Holland Azzaro, who runs a holistic healing center called Ashi Therapy in Banner Elk, N.C.
Azzaro, who is also a registered aromatherapist, said these alternative treatments are sometimes misunderstood. "There probably are some practitioners and some who think that it's (aromatherapy) just something you smell, just a scent or a perfume like that," Azzaro told UPI. "There are certain oils that can help with memory, with jogging memory."
She added: "I definitely believe we need to have clinical studies and research" on these treatments. "It's ancient. It's been around a long, long time."
(Reported by Katrina Woznicki, UPI Science News, in Washington.)
Copyright 2002 by United Press International.