Event Abstract

IS A REDUCTION IN STRESS THE CAUSE OF ATTENTIONAL IMPROVEMENT? THE EFFECTS OF ROSEMARY ESSENTIAL OIL ON MISMATCH NEGATIVITY

  • 1 Southern Cross University, Psychology, School of Health and Human Sciences, Australia

Research indicates that cholinergic agonists, such as nicotine, may be beneficial in improving cognitive attention. However, it is not known whether this effect is a direct one, or if it is mediated by a reduction in stress, which drugs such as nicotine produce. Rosemary essential oil is also a cholinergic agonist, and there is some evidence of it improving cognitive processing. Aim: The present study was designed to examine whether there was a direct effect of rosemary on attention, or whether such an effect depended on the level of stress occurring at the time of testing. The Mismatch Negativity (MMN) procedure was employed as a measure of attention, as it reflects the brains ability to respond to a deviant stimulus within a sequence of homogenous stimuli. Method: Twenty-four healthy volunteers (mean age = 25, 75% female) completed both a stressful (N-back) and non-stressful task in a cubicle with either the presence of a rosemary odour (n = 12) or a placebo (peppermint) odour (n = 12). During both tasks, electrocortical activity towards an auditory MMN paradigm was recorded. Results: Stress had an effect by reducing MMN amplitudes measured at FZ on the scale, in the placebo condition. Stress also appeared to dramatically increase the amount of variability in the event-related potentials. Contrary to expectations, the rosemary odour did not reverse these effects of stress, but this was because rosemary appeared to alter the event-related potentials of both the standard and deviant stimuli in the MMN paradigm. Conclusion: Overall, stress was found to impair cognitive attention, however we do not have evidence that the rosemary odour reduced stress or improved attention. Activity at other sites of FZ will be further explored to explain these effects of rosemary.

Keywords: Attention, stress, mismatch negativity, Rosemary essential oil, Attentional Improvement

Conference: Southern Cross University 14th Annual Honours Psychology Research Conference, Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia, 5 Oct - 6 Oct, 2017.

Presentation Type: Research

Topic: Psychology

Citation: Saleeb E and Provost SC (2017). IS A REDUCTION IN STRESS THE CAUSE OF ATTENTIONAL IMPROVEMENT? THE EFFECTS OF ROSEMARY ESSENTIAL OIL ON MISMATCH NEGATIVITY. Front. Psychol. Conference Abstract: Southern Cross University 14th Annual Honours Psychology Research Conference. doi: 10.3389/conf.fpsyg.2017.72.00029

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Received: 25 Sep 2017; Published Online: 11 Dec 2017.

* Correspondence: Dr. Stephen C Provost, Southern Cross University, Psychology, School of Health and Human Sciences, Coffs Harbour, NSW, 2450, Australia, steve.provost@scu.edu.au