Aromatherapy and behaviour disturbances in dementia: a randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Complementary Medicine
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Disordered behavior, including excessive motor activity, is a common challenge in dementia care.
• Non-pharmacological interventions are sought to manage behavioral symptoms in dementia.
• Aromatherapy and massage are recognized for their potential relaxing effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the relaxing effects of aromatherapy massage on disordered behavior in dementia patients.
• To compare the efficacy of aromatherapy massage with aromatherapy alone and massage alone.
• To provide preliminary evidence for the sedative effects of aromatherapy massage.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial was conducted with 21 dementia patients.
• Patients were allocated to three groups: aromatherapy and massage (AM), conversation and aromatherapy (CA), and massage only (M).
• Excessive motor behavior was measured to assess the intervention's impact.

Main Results:

• The aromatherapy and massage (AM) group exhibited the greatest reduction in excessive motor behavior.
• This reduction was statistically significant between 3 and 4 pm (p < 0.05).
• Post hoc analysis indicated AM consistently reduced motor behavior compared to CA at this time (p = 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Aromatherapy massage demonstrates a measurable sedative effect on dementia patients.
• This intervention shows potential as a non-pharmacological approach for managing motor behavior in dementia.
• Further research with larger sample sizes is recommended to confirm these findings.