Elderly Demented Patients: Aromatherapy Complementary to Psychopharmacotherapy Psychological Disorders and BPSD Behavior

Clinica Luganese Moncucco

Status: Completed

Conditions: BPSD (Behavioral and Psycological Symptoms of Dementia)

Treatments: Other: essential oils

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03662360

CLM_ds_p_02

Details and patient eligibility

About

Behavioral and psycological symptoms of dementia, (BPSD) are one of the major problem for families, doctors and for patients the same. To reduce the side effects of the standard treatments, is important to find an alternative methods of treatment, eg the aromatherapy. There is an incresing in scientific evidence the its use in dementia behavior related.

Full description

Behavioral and psycological symptoms of dementia, (BPSD) are one of the major problem for families, doctors and for patients the same.

In absence of the universally recognized guidelines, the standard treatment involves the use of psychotropic drugs (typical / atypical neuroleptics, antidepressants, benzodiazepines) that are often not very effective and involve a series of side effects such as sedation, slowing down -motor with impaired cognitive performance, cardiac electrical changes and extrapyramidal syndrome. In view of this, it is important to find an alternative methods of treatment, which can reduce psychological and behavioral disorders and at the same time the use of psychotropic drugs.

As for aromatherapy, ie the therapeutic use of natural essential oils, there is a decades-long clinical experience, especially in France, which is accompanied by increasing scientific evidence with considerable increase in publications in its use in psychological disorders and dementia behavior related. Based on the scientific publications available, it was therefore decided to use two essential oils (Citrus sinensis, Lavandula angustifolia) in environmental diffusion in the Geriatric Department of the Clinica Luganese Moncucco.

Enrollment: 32 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 70+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• patients admitted to the acute geriatric ward;
• patients with a known diagnosis of dementia associated with BPSD or diagnosis performed during hospitalization.

Exclusion criteria

• patients with alcohol-based dementia;
• patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) - section 4 -;
• patients with language barrier;
• patients already being treated with aromatherapy.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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32 participants in 2 patient groups

GROUP A - control group

No Intervention group

Description:

16 patients who respect the inclusion criteria, treated with psychotropic drugs Pro Re Nata.

GROUP B - aromatherapy group

Experimental group

Description:

16 patients included in the inclusion criteria, treated with psychotropic drugs Pro Re Nata and, in a complementary way, with diffusion aromatherapy

Treatment:

Other: essential oils