Aromatherapy and Aromatic Plants for the Treatment of Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms of Dementia in Patients with Alzheimer’s Disease: Clinical Evidence and Possible Mechanisms

Table 2

Studies supporting the use of Lavandula officinalis in aromatherapy.

Study	Main characteristics
Barocelli et al., 2004.	In the hot plate test the lavender oil inhalation induced analgesic activity, which was inhibited by naloxone, atropine, and mecamylamine before treatment, thus supporting the involvement of both opioidergic and cholinergic pathways.
Holmes et al., 2002.	A placebo-controlled trial including 15 demented patients affected with agitation, as assessed by the PAS, which reported some effectiveness of 2% lavender oil aromatherapy stream.
Lin et al., 2007.	A cross-over randomized trial, conducted on 70 Chinese aged demented patients, which suggested the efficacy of lavender administered by inhalatory route as adjunctive therapy for the management of agitation.
Jimbo et al., 2009.	A group of 28 demented old patients, 17 of whom suffering from AD, was exposed to the aroma of 0.04 mL lemon and 0.08 mL rosemary essential oil in the morning and to the aroma of 0.08 mL lavender and 0.04 mL orange essential oils in the evening, in order to improve concentration and memory in the morning and to make the patients quiet in the evening. The results obtained so far support the clinical use of aromatherapy in AD patients, also when performed using more than one single essential oil.