Human heart rate variability under the influence of aromatherapy with sweet orange and pine oils

BACKGROUND: Aromatherapy is one of the simplest and most effective methods of influencing the functional state of a person. It is applicable both for therapeutic purposes in adults and children, and for restoring the psychoemotional and physical state of a person, which requires a detailed study of the psychophysiological mechanisms of the impact of individual aroma oils on the patient. Moreover, a wide choice of oils allows you to determine the necessary spectrum of action of a particular smell, and the activation of the olfactory sensory system causes a number of physiological reactions and affects the body in a complex way. AIM: To study the human heart rate variability under the influence of aromatherapy with sweet orange and pine oils. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The aromatherapy session was conducted for 25 minutes. Before and after the aroma session, the simple visual-motor reaction (sVMR) of the subjects was determined and the heart rate was recorded on the VNS-Micro hardware-software complex (Neurosoft, Russia) in lead II, at rest, sitting, for 5 minutes. Statistical processing of the obtained data was carried out using Excel and IBM SSPS Statistics 26 programs. RESULTS: Maximal RR intervals after rest were significantly higher than at rest before rest. The net regulatory effect (SDNN) increased significantly. The activity of the autonomous regulation circuit (RMSSD), the total wave power (TP), the power of the low-frequency component of the spectrum (LF), the power of the high-frequency component of the spectrum (HF) increased significantly. The centralization index (IC) increased after the rest. Under the influence of the smell of pine, changes in heart rate variability and spectral power are insignificant. Significant changes in the power of the HF component of the spectrum were observed under the influence of the smell of orange it significantly decreased. The centralization index (IC) has increased. After the aroma sessions with pine and orange oil, the time of the subjects' MTMR and their error increased, after the aroma session with pine oil, the error increased to a greater extent. Aromatherapy with sweet orange and pine oils eliminated the significant changes in the parameters of heart rate variability of the subjects, which were observed after a 25-minute rest in the control group. CONCLUSION: After rest, the activity of the sympathetic nervous system decreased, the activity of the autonomous regulation circuit increased, the influence of the vagus and the influence of subcortical and cortical centers of regulation increased. Aroma session with oils of pine or sweet orange reduces the effectiveness of the sVMR of the subjects, while a 25-minute inhalation of pine aroma oil reduces the effectiveness of the sVMR to a greater extent.