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DementiaAROMA-SUNNCT07288736

Aromatherapy Formulas for Sundowning and Sleep Quality in Patients With Dementia.

A study testing Aromatherapy Formula A and Aromatherapy Formula B in people with Dementia and Sundowning, run by National Cheng-Kung University Hospital at 2 sites in Taiwan.

Active, not recruiting

Under way, not looking for participants. Everyone needed has enrolled. The study is still running.

Official record
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Trial summary

Dementia is common in aging societies and is often accompanied by sundowning syndrome and sleep problems. These symptoms can be very distressing for patients and place a heavy burden on family members and professional caregivers. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 18 years and older
Conditions the study is for
Dementia, Sundowning
What is being tested?
Aromatherapy Formula A and Aromatherapy Formula B
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
35 participants
Where
2 sitesTaiwan
Study dates
15 Sep 2025to 12 Jan 2026
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

Key requirements

Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.

  • Ages 18 years and older
  • All sexes
  • No healthy volunteers
  • Adult, Older adult

Who may be able to join

  • Diagnosis of dementia by a specialist according to DSM-5 (any type) OR SPMSQ score < 8.
  • Manifesting sundown syndrome with a score ≥ 26 on the CMAI-C.
  • Able to speak Mandarin or Taiwanese.

Who cannot join

  • Clinical diagnosis of a psychiatric disorder (e.g., schizophrenia, bipolar disorder).
  • Acute stage of illness within the past 2 weeks.
  • Olfactory disorder or loss of smell (anosmia).
  • Allergy to essential oil fragrances.
  • Currently receiving aromatherapy.
  • Respiratory disease (e.g., asthma, COPD).

Trial locations and contacts

2 sites in 1 country.

Taiwan2 sites
  • Evergreen Senior Day Care Center

    Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 802

  • Kang Yu Day Care Center, Tainan

    Tainan, Taiwan, 71754

Other trials in Taiwan

About this study

Official title: The Distinctive Effects of Aroma-Formulas on Sundown Syndrome, Mood and Sleep Quality of Patients With Dementia

Dementia is common in aging societies and is often accompanied by sundowning syndrome and sleep problems. These symptoms can be very distressing for patients and place a heavy burden on family members and professional caregivers. Aromatherapy using essential oils, especially lavender, has shown promise in reducing behavioral symptoms in people with dementia, but evidence on compound essential oil formulas and their effects on both sundowning and sleep quality remains limited.

This study will compare two different compound essential oil formulas for people with dementia living in long-term care facilities in southern Taiwan. Each participant will receive both formulas at different times in a repeated crossover design. In Phase 1, participants will receive a stimulating formula in the morning (rosemary and lemon) and a relaxing formula in the afternoon (lavender and sweet orange). In Phase 2, they will receive a calming blend that includes sweet orange, spike lavender, true lavender, vetiver, bergamot, and Roman chamomile. Aromatherapy will be administered by diffusion twice a day, five days per week, for two weeks in each phase.

The main outcomes are changes in agitation and sleep quality, measured using the Chinese versions of the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. The findings are expected to provide preliminary evidence on whether compound essential oil formulas can be a simple, non-drug approach to help manage sundowning syndrome and improve sleep in people with dementia.

Read the detailed description

Dementia is increasingly prevalent in rapidly aging societies and is frequently accompanied by neuropsychiatric symptoms, including sundowning syndrome and disturbed sleep-wake cycles. Sundowning behaviors-such as agitation, wandering, and confusion that worsen in the late afternoon or evening-are particularly challenging to manage and are associated with poorer sleep quality, increased use of psychotropic medications, and heightened caregiver burden. Non-pharmacological interventions that are safe, simple, and feasible in long-term care settings are urgently needed.

Aromatherapy has emerged as a potentially useful complementary therapy for behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia. Prior studies have suggested that lavender and other essential oils may reduce agitation and promote relaxation; however, most existing evidence focuses on single oils, small samples, or non-standardized protocols. Data on compound essential oil formulations, especially those targeting both sundowning syndrome and sleep quality, remain limited.

This study is designed to evaluate the comparative effectiveness of two compound essential oil formulas on agitation related to sundowning and on overall sleep quality in patients with dementia. A repeated crossover design will be used. Participants will be recruited from long-term care facilities in southern Taiwan and must have a medical diagnosis of dementia and observable sundowning or sleep disturbance.

The intervention includes two 2-week aromatherapy phases, separated by an appropriate washout period. Aromatherapy is delivered by diffusion in the dementia care unit twice daily (09:00 and 14:00), five days per week.

Phase 1 (Formula A):

Morning: Formula A1, a 2:1 blend of organic rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) and organic lemon (Citrus limon) essential oils, intended to promote alertness and daytime activity.

Afternoon: Formula A2, a 2:1 blend of organic lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) and organic sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) essential oils, intended to reduce agitation and support evening relaxation.

Phase 2 (Formula B):

Participants receive a calming compound blend (Formula B) that includes organic sweet orange, spike lavender, true lavender, vetiver, bergamot, and Roman chamomile. This formulation is designed to provide broader anxiolytic, sedative, and stabilizing effects across the day.

All essential oils are high-quality organic products, and diffusion is carried out under standardized conditions by trained staff. Usual medical and nursing care continues throughout the study.

Outcome measures focus on behavioral agitation and sleep quality. Agitation associated with sundowning is assessed using the Chinese version of the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CCMAI), and sleep quality is evaluated using the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (CPSQI). Demographic and clinical characteristics are collected to describe the sample and to explore potential covariates.

Because each participant serves as his or her own control across the two aromatherapy sequences, data will be analyzed using a linear mixed model (LMM) to examine within-subject changes over time, while accounting for period and sequence effects. The primary comparisons will focus on differences in CCMAI and CPSQI scores between Formula A and Formula B phases.

The expected outcome is to generate preliminary clinical evidence that compound essential oil formulations can be integrated as a simple, low-risk, non-pharmacological strategy to manage sundowning symptoms and improve sleep in people with dementia. If effective, these aromatherapy protocols could be adapted for long-term care facilities, community programs, and home-based caregiving, thereby helping to reduce caregiver burden and improve quality of life for both patients and families.

Conditions
Dementia, Sundowning
Being tested
Aromatherapy Formula A, Aromatherapy Formula B
Keywords
Aromatherapy, Essential Oils, Sundowning, Sundown Syndrome, Sleep Quality, Dementia
Medical subject headings
Dementia, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • Aromatherapy Formula AOther

    Participants receive Aromatherapy Formula A for 2 weeks. In the morning, Formula A1 (a 2:1 blend of organic rosemary and organic lemon essential oils) is diffused in the dementia care unit; in the afternoon, Formula A2 (a 2:1 blend of organic lavender and organic sweet orange essential oils) is diffused. Aromatherapy is administered by diffusion twice daily (around 09:00 and 14:00), 5 days per week, during the 2-week intervention period.

  • Aromatherapy Formula BOther

    Participants receive Aromatherapy Formula B for 2 weeks. Formula B is a calming compound essential oil blend containing organic sweet orange (Citrus sinensis), spike lavender (Lavandula latifolia), true lavender (Lavandula angustifolia), vetiver (Vetiveria zizanoides), bergamot (Citrus bergamia), and Roman chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile). The blend is diffused in the dementia care unit twice daily (around 09:00 and 14:00), 5 days per week, during the 2-week intervention period. In the crossover sequence, this phase follows a 2-week washout period after Formula A.

Study groups in NCT07288736
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
Experimental: Aromatherapy - Formula A then Formula BExperimentalParticipants will receive a two-phase aromatherapy intervention. In Phase 1, they will receive Aromatherapy Formula A for 2 weeks, followed by a 2-week washout period. In Phase 2, they will receive Aromatherapy Formula B for another 2 weeks. Aromatherapy will be administered by diffusion twice daily (09:00 and 14:00), 5 days per week, in the dementia care unit.
Receives: Other: Aromatherapy Formula A; Other: Aromatherapy Formula B

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Change in agitation/sundowning behaviors (Chinese Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory, CCMAI)

    Agitation and sundowning behaviors will be assessed using the Chinese version of the Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory (CCMAI). The inventory includes 29 items rated on a 7-point frequency scale (1 = never, 7 = several times an hour). A total score is calculated by summing all items, with higher scores indicating more severe agitation/sundowning. Change in CCMAI total score will be compared within participants across aromatherapy intervention phases.

    Measured: Baseline and the end of each 2-week aromatherapy phase (up to 6 weeks)

Secondary outcomes (1)
  1. Change in sleep quality (Chinese Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, CPSQI)

    Sleep quality will be assessed using the Chinese version of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (CPSQI). The CPSQI consists of 19 self- or proxy-rated items that generate seven component scores and a global score ranging from 0 to 21, with higher scores indicating poorer sleep quality. For this study, the primary sleep outcome will be the global CPSQI score. Change in CPSQI global score will be compared within participants across the two aromatherapy phases.

    Measured: Baseline and the end of each 2-week aromatherapy phase (up to 6 weeks)

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted17 Dec 2025
  2. Study start15 Sep 2025
  3. Primary completion2 Jan 2026 (estimated)
  4. Study completion12 Jan 2026 (estimated)

Resources

More details

For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.

Study design
Study type
Interventional
Phase
Phase N/A
Primary purpose
Supportive care
Allocation
Not applicable
Intervention model
Single group
Model description
Single-group, two-period crossover trial without randomization. All participants first receive Aromatherapy Formula A in Phase 1 for 2 weeks (5 days per week, twice daily diffusion at 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m.), followed by a 2-week washout period. In Phase 2, the same participants receive Aromatherapy Formula B for 2 weeks with the same schedule. Each participant serves as his or her own control to evaluate changes in sundown syndrome and sleep quality.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
35 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT07288736
Sponsor's protocol ID
NCKU HREC-F-111-613-2
Acronym
AROMA-SUN
Status last verified
Jan 2026
First submitted
4 Dec 2025
Last updated
8 Jan 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
No: Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared at this time. The dataset involves a small group of vulnerable older adults with dementia living in long-term care facilities, and the current IRB approval and informed consent do not include secondary data sharing. Only de-identified aggregate results will be reported in publications and presentations. IPD sharing may be considered in the future with additional ethics approval and appropriate data-sharing agreements to protect participant privacy.

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing Aromatherapy Formula A and Aromatherapy Formula B in people with Dementia and Sundowning, run by National Cheng-Kung University Hospital at 2 sites in Taiwan.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 6 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.

Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?

The record says: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 8 Jan 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 2 sites in Taiwan. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.

What are the possible benefits and risks?

They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.

Are results available for this study?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?

The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.

What does the primary outcome measure?

Change in agitation/sundowning behaviors (Chinese Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory, CCMAI) (time frame: Baseline and the end of each 2-week aromatherapy phase (up to 6 weeks)). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.

Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?

No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.

How often is this information updated?

AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 8 Jan 2026.

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