Cinnamomum verum and its Effects on the Visual Motor Speed in Humans

Cinnamon has been employed for medicinal purposes ever since medieval eras. As an expensive ingredient in Egyptian times -a rarity considered a gift for Kings-Cinnamon has since proliferated the world after the European exploration [1]. Scientifi c research recently confi rmed its benefi cial health eff ectsits high dosage of antioxidants, anti-infl ammatory properties, ability to counter neurodegenerative diseases [2]. And to lower blood sugar being some of the most notable [3]. Additionally, there is also research pertaining to cinnamon’s capacity to increase neural activity by creating and retaining new synapses through consumptionsodium benzoate being the possible source [4]. However, since consumption isn’t necessarily the most practical option for increasing brain activity, our research explored the possible eff ects of simply smelling cinnamon. Since even the thought of cinnamon has the ability to stimulate activity in the olfactory cortex through association, it would be practical to research if smell helps alert participants and stimulate brain activity [5]. Due to the prevalence of cinnamon scented fragrances in today’s societyranging from candles to foodobserving the benefi ts of the spice Cinnamon is used in a variety of cuisines, herbal supplements, teas, and other unique variations. Use of it as a spice dates back thousands of years and is primarily found in the lower regions of Asia in places like Sri Lanka and India. This experiment was designed to examine the effects of cinnamon on visual motor refl exes. It was hypothesized that the longer a participant smelt cinnamon the faster their refl ex time would be. Participants were used as an internal control to check their base refl exes when initially unexposed to cinnamon, before repeating the experiment with the smell of cinnamon diffusing through the air. This was recorded using an online computer program provided by Washington University that functions as a click the button test. Participants had to press the button every time they saw a computerized traffi c light turn green. We then calculated the changes in visual motor response time in intervals of two minutes for ten minutes. The means and standard deviation of each trial for each participant was calculated through both a calculator and the computer program. Most participants showed similar trends in their results with only a few outliers. Afterwards, the means were compared which revealed a gradual decrease in refl ex time and statistically signifi cant data with a P value of 0.0026, which supports our hypothesis that the smell of cinnamon decreases refl ex response time. This can support the idea that cinnamon may be utilized in everyday activities to enhance mental abilities and may act as a signifi cant stimulant to prevent drowsy driving. The experiment did not account for refl ex acclimation however, which may provide a possible source of error in our data set. ABSTRACT *Corresponding author