Research has found that exposure to scents can be beneficial.
March 3, 2024
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Aromatherapy scents can help you feel calm or invigorated, depending on the essential oils used. But did you know that aromatherapy scents can actually help improve your memory, too?
New Clinical studypublished in the journal The forefront of neuroscience researcher Researchers at the University of California, Irvine set out to find out whether a bedtime aromatherapy treatment could improve cognition and memory in older adults.
The researchers knew, based on previous studies, that cognitive decline in some forms of dementia is accompanied by loss of smell. Today’s Medical NewsIt was natural to see whether regular exposure to scents – a practice known as olfactory enrichment – could have beneficial outcomes in older adults.
The results were astonishing: the subjects who received the aromatherapy treatment actually saw a 226 percent improvement in cognitive scores.
Conducting the research
The researchers studied 43 cognitively healthy older adults, both men and women, aged 60 to 85 years. blog upon Psychology TodayTwenty of the participants received two hours of aromatherapy each night. Essential oils – Rose, Orange, Lemon, Peppermint, eucalyptusI used three different aroma oils, one each of rosemary and lavender, alternating nightly for six months.
The new findings support previous research, Olfactory stimulation may be one of the management methods Cognitive decline The sense of smell and behavior of older adults with dementia is different because smell is unlike other senses in that it is directly connected to white matter pathways in the brain that play a key role in learning and memory encoding. It is these pathways that deteriorate with age and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Dr. Michael LeungProfessor Emeritus of Neurobiology and Behavior at the University of California, Irvine and lead author of the study, Today’s Medical News “It is known that the loss of olfactory stimulation leads to a decline in the memory center of the brain, and we found that increasing olfactory stimulation improves memory as well as the memory center of the brain.”
Scents also affect sleep
Smells can also affect the time it takes to fall asleep, as well as the quality and quantity of sleep. Sleep Foundation Organization: Unique scents may improve sleep quality and improve memory and learning abilities.
Some aromatherapy scents are more effective than others at promoting sleep. These include lavender and rose. lavender and rose were two of the essential oils used in a recent study. Other scents that can help you sleep better and wake up refreshed in the morning include rosemary and peppermint, the other two essential oils tested.
While more research is needed on how aromatherapy scents can benefit both sleep and cognition, this is a very good start for people with sleep disorders. memory Especially since insomnia is associated with both physical and mental symptoms. Who would have thought that the cure could be as simple as stopping to smell the roses?
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Bonnie has dedicated her life to promoting social justice and enjoys writing about women’s empowerment, child advocacy, innovation in education, and environmental and sustainability advocacy.
