TITLE:
Pain-Relief Effects of Aroma Touch Therapy with Citrus junos Oil Evaluated by Quantitative EEG Occipital Alpha-2 Rhythm Powers
AUTHORS:
Tomomi Bohgaki, Yoshitada Katagiri, Makoto Usami
KEYWORDS:
Aroma Touch Therapy; Chronic Pain; Encephalogram Occipital Alpha-2 Rhythm; Citrus junos (Yuzu) Oil
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Behavioral and Brain Science,
Vol.4 No.1,
January
13,
2014
ABSTRACT: Aroma touch
therapy is widely used in clinical fields for alleviating pain-related
symptoms; however, few studies have reported the pain-relief mechanisms. The
present study aimed to elucidate the analgesic effects of aroma touch therapy
with Citrus junos oil based on the
quantitative evaluation of deep brain network (DBN) activity using
electroencephalogram (EEG) occipital alpha-2 rhythm (10-13 Hz) powers. Experimental investigations were performed with 13 healthy
volunteers using the cold pressor task for simulating chronic pain in three different
sessions: a baseline session with no therapies, a control session with a touch
therapy, and an aroma touch therapy. We have found for the first time that the interviewed pain ratings
represented by Numeric Rating Scale
(NRS) scores were strongly correlated with a DBN activity index, which was
derived from the slow fluctuation components of occipital EEG alpha-2 rhythm
powers. The correlation was characterized by a V-shaped curve in the DBN
activity index versus the pain rating, i.e.,
the NRS score, which provided the complete analgesic states (NRS = 0) for some
subjects under aroma touch therapy at an appropriate DBN activity index. Such
analgesic states were not so strongly correlated with emotional valence. In
conclusion, aroma touch therapy may directly modulate DBN activity so that pain-induced outcomes are minimized.