Open AccessLavender as treatment of Alzheimer's disease
Author(s) -
Sheila Spohr Nedel,
Jerônimo Costa Branco,
Carina Rodrigues Boeck,
Aline Ferreira Ourique
Publication year - 2020
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2411-2933
DOI - 10.31686/ijier.vol8.iss12.2863
Subject(s) - aromatherapy , dementia , disease , lavender , medicine , psychiatry , traditional medicine , neuroscience , psychology , alternative medicine , essential oil , biology , pathology , food science
Neurodegenerative diseases affect the grey matter of the brain and secondarily the functions related to the white matter, with aging being one of the main responsible for their development. Among neurodegenerative diseases, dementia stands out, which has been considered by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a public health priority since 2012 due to its high prevalence. It is believed that degeneration of the cholinergic system in the hippocampus and cortex is closely related to cognitive deficits in dementia. Among the forms of treatment for dementia, aromatherapy stands out, which is part of phytotherapy and uses extracts and essential oils extracted from different organs of aromatic plants, and frequently administered via inhalation or topical application. Lavender is one of these plants and has traditionally been used to treat memory dysfunction. Thus, the present study sought to verify in the literature research using Lavandula as a form of treatment for neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer's disease. The search for the studies took place in January 2020, in the electronic database Web of Science. 42 articles were found, of which 13 adequately met the inclusion criteria. It can be concluded with this review, that both the extract and the essential oil of different lavender species have positive influences on memory formation, as well as on the improvement of cognitive function, especially in patients with Alzheimer's disease.