Impact of Adding Aromatherapy to Sound Intervention on Cardiovascular Parameters and Psychophysiological Measures in...

Integrative therapeutic approaches are able to improve psychophysiological outcomes in cancer patients. Whether additional beneficial effects can be achieved by combining aromatherapy to sound intervention is unclear.

Eighty cancer patients were randomized (1:1) to either a 20-min sound intervention ("sound only," classical music via headphones) or a sound intervention combined with aromatherapy ("aroma"). Cardiovascular parameters (measured with VascAssist2.0), visual analogue scales for emotional well-being, anxiety, stress, pain and sadness, and the State Trait Anxiety Inventory were assessed before and after intervention.

Sound only led to a significant reduction in the heart rate, while a trend for a lower heart rate was observed in the aroma group. Both pulse wave velocity (p = 0.04) and vascular resistance (p = 0.04) were reduced by sound only. Psychophysiological outcomes were improved by both interventions with a more pronounced but not significantly different effect on pain reduction by aroma (aroma p < 0.001; sound only p = 0.002).

Both interventions were able to improve psychophysiological outcomes. In terms of cardiovascular parameters, a sound intervention alone achieved greater but not significantly different results compared to aroma, while the addition of aromatherapy yielded no substantial additional effects.