| Abstract [eng] |
Essential oils are mostly used in aromatherapy, cosmetics, pharmacology and in perfumes industry. Though there are wide discussions about influence of essential oils on the human organism, there are not many scientific studies on the influence of these oils and mechanisms of their action. The main purpose of Master thesis is to investigate influence of lavender essential oil on cognitive functions and heart rate. The experiments were conducted with 19 -25 years old males and females. Women were examined in the follicular, ovulation, luteal and late luteal phases of menstrual cycle. Men were examined twice – with essential oil and water (as control). During every experiment before and after inhalation of the lavender essential oil cognitive tests (short-term memory, attention and reaction time) were performed and electrocardiogram was continuously recorded. The personality traits were identified using Eysenck test and subjects were categorized as introvert-extravert and neurotic-emotionally stabile. The main findings are as follows: 1. There was no statistically significant effect of lavender essential oil on reaction time, short term memory, parameters of attention - coefficient of mental productivity, capacity of visual information, velocity of information processing and heart rate when subjects were not subdivided into groups. 2. Coefficient of accuracy increased statistically significantly after breathing with lavender essential oil when subjects were not subdivided into groups. Increase is more expressed in men group as compared to women and in neurotic subjects as compared to emotionally stabile. 3. During ovulation but not in other phases of menstrual cycle after breathing with lavender essential oil coefficient of mental productivity, capacity of visual information and velocity of information processing are higher as compared to men. 4. Effect of lavender essential oil on men’s heart rate is diverse – in 18% of subjects’ heart rate was reduced, in 46% - increased and in 36% didn’t change. 5. Women’s heart rate in follicular phase was statistically significantly lower as compared to heart rate in ovulatory, luteal and late luteal phases before, during and after breathing with lavender essential oil. 6. Reaction time irrespective of menstrual cycle phases and effect of essential oil is statistically significantly shorter in men than women as well as in extraverts and neurotics than introverts and emotionally stabile subjects. 7. Women, extraverts and emotionally stabile subjects evaluate scent of lavender essential oil as more attractive than men, introverts and neurotics. |
