ADHD and Essential Oils

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ADHD and Essential Oils

• Terry Friedmann, MD

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ADHD

• One of the most frequently diagnosed disorders in
  young children and teenagers
• Over 3 million children are being treated for
  ADHD. Treatments include
• Ritalin
• Dexadrine
• Behavior management
• Counseling
• Holistic Approach

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Symptoms

• Inattention
• Shorter than usual attention span
• Impulsivity
• Cannot control impulses
• Hyperactivity
• Periodic over activity

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Consequences

• Poor school performance
• Low self esteem
• Underdeveloped social skills
• Lifelong habits that can translate into an
  underachieving adult
• Never reach potential

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Ritalin New Recreational Drug

• Ritalin has several side effects
• Psychosis
• Mania
• Disrupting growth hormone secretion
• Drug abuse and addiction
• Ritalin is being ground up and inhaled by street
  drug users as an illegal high

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Essential Oil Connection

• In Feb 2000 Dr. Friedmann began testing 20
  children using three essential oils
• Lavender (Lavandula officinalis)
• Vetiver (Vetiveria Zizanioides
• Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica)
• These oils are among the highest in sesquiterpenes

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Hypothalamus

• Essential oils stimulate the hypothalamus/pituitar
  y axis through the limbic structures of the brain
• This allows modulation of dopamine, serotonin,
  catecholamine, and other hormone levels

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Study Design

• Two groups of children between age 6 and 14 were
  randomly selected
• 16 controls who received no treatment
• 18 subjects who were treated with one of the
  three essential oils
• Cedarwood
• Lavender
• Vetiver

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Testing Design

• Theta and beta waves were measured by real-time
  EEG (electroencephalograph)
• Beta waves measure alertness, mental
  concentration (13-30 cycles per sec.)
• Theta waves are active when the brain is asleep
  or daydreaming
• Severity of ADHD was measured by TOVA score

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Essential Oils

• Subjects were asked to inhale the essential oil
  three times a day
• The open bottle of oil held next to the nostrils
• Three deep inhalations
• Inhalation Therapy continued for 30 days
• Following the protocol, EEGs and TOVAs were
  remeasured

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Data Analysis

• Data was collected and analyzed by Dr. Dennis
  Eggert at the Center for Statistical Research at
  Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah

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Results

• Dramatic Changes Noted
• Vetiver34 improvement
• Cederwood24 improvement
• Lavender17 improvement
• Not statistically significant