Clinical Trials Logo

Clinical Trial Summary

Everyday life psychosocial challenges may negatively impact health and well-being, contributing to the onset and/or progression of psychological and psychosomatic disorders. Pharmacological treatments can moderate our stress response, but they usually bring about addiction/tolerance and a number of other side effects. Therefore, it is relevant to identify alternative stress relief strategies that are devoid of these unwanted drawbacks. Moreover, the effects of such alternative interventions should be objectively quantified by means of reliable psychobiological parameters. The goal of this study was to quantify the acute and persistent effects of a cosmetic routine based on the self-administration of a cream enriched with essential oils, namely Juniperus Phoenicea gum extract, Copaifera Officinalis resin, Aniba Rosodora wood oil, and Juniperus Virginiana. This aim was achieved by measuring the (re-)activity of the autonomic nervous system (via heart variability indexes) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (via salivary cortisol levels), as well as through psychometric and behavioral assessments.

Participants' informed consent signature for adhesion at the study was initially requested. With their acceptance, parameters were recorded anonimously, identified by their initials and an alphanumeric code.

Data were transferred on Excel worksheets, utilized for descriptive analysis related at every variable. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 25 software package and statistical significance was set at p<0.05.


Clinical Trial Description

Everyday life psychosocial challenges may negatively impact health and well-being, contributing to the onset and/or progression of psychological and psychosomatic disorders. Pharmacological treatments can moderate our stress response, but they usually bring about addiction/tolerance and a number of other side effects. Therefore, it is relevant to identify alternative stress relief strategies that are devoid of these unwanted drawbacks. Moreover, the effects of such alternative interventions should be objectively quantified by means of reliable psychobiological parameters.

The goal of this study was to quantify the acute and persistent effects of a cosmetic routine based on the self-administration of a cream (DAVC) enriched with essential oils, namely Juniperus Phoenicea gum extract, Copaifera Officinalis resin, Aniba Rosodora wood oil, Juniperus Virginiana. This aim was achieved by measuring the (re-)activity of the autonomic nervous system (via heart variability indexes) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis (via salivary cortisol levels), as well as through psychometric and behavioral assessments.

Fourty women, 25-50 years old, were instructed for a correct mode of self administration of the cream. On day 0, women came to the lab and were instrumented for electrocardiographic signal (ECG) recordings. Initially, a 10-min ECG was collected in resting conditions (baseline). Then, two 20-min ECGs were recorded, each following the self-administration (3-min duration) of the DAVC and a placebo cream (PLAC), in a randomized order. At the end of the baseline and the two post-cream administration recordings, saliva samples were collected. From day 1 to 28, subjects self-administered (at home, twice a day, at wake-up and bed time) either DAVC (n=20) or PLAC (n=20).

On day 29, they returned to the lab and ECGs and underwent a stress test (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST). The test lasted 10 min and consisted in a stress interview (5 min), immediately followed by an arithmetic task. ECGs were collected in baseline (10 min), test (10 min), and recovery (20 min) phases. Saliva samples were collected at the end of the baseline and the middle and the end of the recovery phase. The subjects filled a number of psychological questionnaires, including Profile of Mood States (POMS, on day 0 and 29) and STAI-Y1 (on day 29). In addition, subjects were videorecorded during the TSST, in order to quantify their non verbal behavior patterns (via ECSI).

A single, self-administration of DAVC (day 0) produced a significant, acute potentiation of parasympathetic neural modulation (HF index: 25% increase as to baseline), whereas PLAC produced only a modest change (3% increase). DAVC provoked a modest (10%), non significant reduction of cortisol levels, which was similar to that induced by PLAC.

Prolonged DAVC self-administration (4 weeks) produced: (i) a significant inhibition of stress-induced cortisol elevation on day 29 (55% increase as compared to pre-stress value in DAVC group, 75% in PLAC group); (ii) a significant improvement of mood profile (POMS test) on day 29 compared to day 0; (iii) a reduction of perceived anxiety (STAI-Y1 score) at the end of the TSST; (iv) significantly lower scores of behavioral patterns linked to anxiety, motivational conflict and avoidance and higher scores of affiliation during the TSST, as compared to PLAC group.

These autonomic neural, neuroendocrine and psychological data suggest that a cream enriched with essential oils has both acute and long-term stress-reduction effects on human psychophysiology. Acute effects involve a potentiation of the parasympathetic component of autonomic neural regulation, which is usually associated with well-being, relaxation and resilience. The long-term effects point to a generalized stress-relief property, involving both the hormonal and psychological sides of stress adaptation. ;


Study Design


Related Conditions & MeSH terms


NCT number NCT04127279
Study type Interventional
Source University of Parma
Contact
Status Completed
Phase Phase 4
Start date January 15, 2018
Completion date December 14, 2018

See also
  Status Clinical Trial Phase
Completed NCT04549194 - Contribution of L-Tyrosine to Recovery From Operational Strain on Return From External Operation N/A
Completed NCT04053686 - An Intervention to Reduce Prolonged Sitting in Police Staff N/A
Completed NCT03170752 - Implementing and Testing a Cardiovascular Assessment Screening Program (CASP) N/A
Recruiting NCT05419934 - EMDR Therapy in Young Children, a Double-blinded Randomized Controlled Trial N/A
Completed NCT03689348 - Acute and Chronic Effects of Avena Sativa on Cognition and Stress N/A
Active, not recruiting NCT05114824 - Acceptability and Feasibility of an 8-week Online Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy Program Among Undergraduate Students N/A
Recruiting NCT05991739 - Pilot Testing of a Structural Racism Intervention for Immigrant Latinx Families N/A
Not yet recruiting NCT05491122 - The Influence of Fluid Intake on Daily Biological Rhythm and Mental Performance in Healthy Young Adults N/A
Completed NCT02982070 - TU Tough: Mental Toughness Training for College Success N/A
Completed NCT02844478 - Stress-Busting Program and QoL, Bio-markers of Immunity/Stress and Cellular Aging N/A
Completed NCT02417454 - Study on the Effects of a Probiotic on Autonomic and Psychological Stress Phase 3
Completed NCT06014970 - The Health and Wellness Curriculum Assessment N/A
Completed NCT01946893 - Mindfulness Meditation for Cognition and Mood N/A
Completed NCT01637363 - Psychoeducation to Sick-listed Individuals With Mental Health Problems N/A
Completed NCT01343810 - Stress Reduction Training to Improve Sleep Quality, Stress Physiology & Cardiovascular Disease (CVD) Risk Markers N/A
Completed NCT00661271 - Mindfulness-based Stress Reduction for Urban Youth N/A
Recruiting NCT04417153 - Who Benefits More? Optimising Mindfulness Based Interventions for Improved Psychological Outcomes
Completed NCT04125810 - A Study to Assess the Safety and Efficacy of Probiotic to Modulate Psychological Stress Phase 2
Completed NCT04023968 - Student Wellness Workshop Study N/A
Completed NCT03233750 - Simulation-Based Stress Inoculation Training N/A