P02.102. Evaluating the role of expectancy during stress-reducing aromatherapy in healthy older adults

Methods To date, 54 participants (mean age 58.7, 82% female) were randomized to either: 1) lavender (stress-reducing aroma), 2) coconut (detectable placebo), or 3) water (non-detectable placebo). The detectable placebo group was used to assess aroma-mediated expectancy. Further, half of the participants in each group, along with their aroma, received a prime suggesting they are inhaling a powerful stress-reducing aroma. The prime was used to evaluate verbally-mediated expectancy. Participants completed a visit during which they experienced the assigned aroma while undergoing a stress battery. Before and after the stress battery, we assessed participants’ subjective stress-related measures, cognitive function, salivary stress biomarkers, and physiologic measures including EEG and ECG. ANOVAs were used to detect group differences with all outcomes reflecting post-stress percent change from baseline.