RECENT RESEARCH
undergo ethical review and include larger-scale randomized controlled trials to validate the efficacy of R . rubescens in treating tumors , thereby promoting its role as an anti-tumor traditional Chinese medicine .
Aromatherapy
Freeman J , Klingele A , Wolf U . Effectiveness of music therapy , aromatherapy , and massage therapy on patients in palliative care with end-of-life needs : A systematic review . J Pain Symptom Manage . 2025 Jan ; 69 ( 1 ): 102-113 . doi : 10.1016 / j . jpainsymman . 2024.07.024 . Epub 2024 Aug 13 . PMID : 39142496 .
Background : Music therapy , aromatherapy and massage therapy are widely used in palliative care in patients near end-of-life with the aim to reduce symptom burden and improve quality of life ( QoL ). Recent research shows an increase in popularity and use of complementary and integrative medicine however a more thorough evidence base about their usefulness is required .
Objectives : The aim of this study was to evaluate the available evidence on the use of music therapy , aromatherapy and massage therapy in palliative and hospice care and summarize findings .
Methods : A defined search strategy was used in reviewing literature from two major databases , MEDLINE and Embase for the period between 2010 and 2022 . Studies were selected for further evaluation based on intervention type and relevancy . After evaluation using quality assessment tools , findings were summarised , and potential benefits were identified .
Results : Out of 1261 studies initially identified , 26 were selected for further evaluation . Sixteen evaluated music therapy , four aromatherapy and massage therapy . The most represented outcomes were pain , anxiety , well-being and QoL . Many studies demonstrated a shortterm benefit in symptom improvement . Qualitative studies showed that these complementary methods are highly valued .
Conclusion : Main results found that music and massage therapy had the most potential benefits on a range of outcome parameters , including pain and QoL . Future studies may consider using more qualitative and / or mixed methods to provide a more comprehensive evaluation of treatment .
Ren YL , Chu WW , Yang XW , Xin L , Gao JX , Yan GZ , Wang C , Chen YN , Xie JF , Spruyt K , Lin JS , Hou YP , Shao YF . Lavender improves sleep through olfactory perception and GABAergic neurons of the central amygdala . J Ethnopharmacol . 2025 Jan 30 ; 337 ( Pt 3 ): 118942 . doi : 10.1016 / j . jep . 2024.118942
Ethnopharmacological relevance : The use of lavender as sleep aid or hypnotic agent can be traced back as early as ancient Romans and Greeks . Yet , objective experimental data on whether and how lavender enhances sleep duration or / and sleep quality remain lacking .
Aim of the study : We aimed to characterize the sleep-wake regulating effects of lavender in the mouse and to demonstrate the brain targets and neural circuits involved .
Materials and methods : A self-made precise odor delivery system combined with chronic polysomnographic recordings was employed to assess the sleep-wake effects of inhalation with lavender essential oil ( LEO , extracted from lavender ) and its different constituents during the light and dark phases in free-moving C57BL / 6J mice . Neuroviral labeling , in situ hybridization and pharmacogenetics were combined to identify the neural circuits and targets involved . Finally , an insomniac model of DL-4-Chlorophenylalanine ( PCPA ) - treated mice was established to examine the sleep-inducing potential of LEO .
Results : We found that inhalation of LEO with a concentration at 25.0 % during the light ( inactive ) phase significantly shortened the latency to non-rapid eye movement ( NREM ) sleep , increased the total amount of NREM sleep at the expense of wakefulness
( W ), and enhanced cortical EEG slow wave activities , notably delta power spectra density . We further identified linalool , d-limonene , 1,8-cineole , linalyl acetate and terpinene-4-ol as the major effective sleep-promoting monomer components . Importantly , we found that LEO no longer produced any of the above sleep-promoting effect following either nasal injection of zinc sulfate which interrupts the olfactory pathway , or pharmacogenetics silencing of central amygdala GABAergic neurons . Finally , LEO reestablished NREM sleep with short latency in PCPA-treated insomniac mice , effects comparable with those induced by a potent sedative diazepam .
Conclusions : We have characterized the quantitative and qualitative sleeppromoting effects of LEO and its effective components via the olfactory pathway and central amygdala GABA neuronal targets . The hypnotic property of LEO is reinforced by its ability to restore sleep in insomnia . Our study thus establishes a neurobiological basis for aromatherapy of sleep disorders using lavender .
Wang X , Liu Y , Yan Y , Mao J , Wang Z . Effects of aromatherapy on discomfort in mothers undergoing cesarean section : A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials . Complement Ther Clin Pract . 2025 Feb ; 58:101935 . doi : 10.1016 / j . ctcp . 2024.101935 . Epub 2024 Dec 10 . PMID : 39675059 .
Background and purpose : Aromatherapy , a non-pharmacological intervention involving essential oils , has been suggested as a complementary therapy for perioperative discomfort . This study seeks to systematically examine the efficacy of aromatherapy in alleviating pain and other discomforts in mothers undergoing cesarean sections .
Methods : A systematic search of PubMed , the Cochrane Library , and Embase was conducted from inception to September 2024 . Inclusion criteria involved mothers undergoing cesarean section , aromatherapy as an intervention , and outcomes such as pain , anxiety , nausea and vomiting . Subgroup analyses
46 | vol31 | no1 | JATMS