A larger replication study, the Antiglucocorticoid Augmentation of Antidepressants in Depression (ADD) study is currently underway in the North of England. This study involves metyrapone augmentation of serotonergic antidepressants in patients with refractory depression. Its results are eagerly awaited.

Footnotes Funding: This work was supported by the Northumberland, Tyne and Wear Trust’s R&D committee. Conflict of interest statement: The authors declare no conflicts of interest in preparing this article. Contributor Information Paul David Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Sigalas, Institution of Neurosciences – Academic Psychiatry, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Westgate Road, Newcastle NE4 6BE, UK. Himanshu Garg, Institution of Neurosciences – Academic Psychiatry, Newcastle, UK. Stuart Watson, Institution of Neurosciences – Academic Psychiatry, Newcastle, UK. Richard Hamish McAllister-Williams, Institution of Neurosciences – Academic Psychiatry, Newcastle, UK. I. Nicol Ferrier, Institution of Neurosciences – Academic Psychiatry, Newcastle, UK.
Putative Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical click here effects of aromas on aspects of human behaviour can be traced back to ancient Greece, where the extracts of aromatic plants were used for cosmetic, religious and medical purposes. Today the popularity of aromas for pleasure, relaxation and in therapeutics is unabated and typified in the ever popular application of aromatherapy

[Tisserand, 1993]. Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical The essential oils used in aromatherapy are extracted from natural sources such as plant leaves, fruits, roots and barks. The unique relationships between plant essential oil aromas and any behavioural impact are Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical potentially due to the complex molecular composition containing a range of alcohols, aldehydes, acids, phenols, esters, ketones and terpenes [Hopkins, 1996]. A small, but growing body of research has been carried out to

investigate the possible influence of the aromas of essential oils on cognition and mood in the healthy population – see Herz for a review [Hertz, 2009]. Diego and colleagues found subjective mood Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical and objective electroencephalogram (EEG) effects for lavender and rosemary as were predicted based on the aromas’ reputed properties Methisazone [Diego et al. 1998]. However, whilst both aromas improved the speed of maths computations, only lavender increased accuracy. Moss and colleagues reported differential effects of lavender and rosemary on aspects of cognition, particularly working memory, but also that rosemary aroma led to an improvement in long-term memory compared with controls [Moss et al. 2003]. The potential for equivalence of the impact of herbal supplementation and aroma exposure was investigated by Moss and colleagues [Moss et al. 2010]. The authors report largely consistent effects for Salvia officinalis aroma but not Salvia lavandulaefolia aroma compared with the effects of oral administration of extracts of these herbs as detailed by Scholey and colleagues [Scholey et al. 2008].