Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41257537›Full record

Trial reportHuman psychopharmacology2025

Aroma of Genius Essential Oil Blend Significantly Enhances Cognitive Performance and Brain Metabolism in Healthy Adults.

Mark Moss, Jake Howarth, Holly Moss

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in Human psychopharmacology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Mark MossDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, Brain Performance and Nutrition Research Centre, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-5994-2540
Jake HowarthDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, Brain Performance and Nutrition Research Centre, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.ORCID 0009-0009-2307-4946
Holly MossDepartment of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, Brain Performance and Nutrition Research Centre, Northumbria University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.ORCID 0009-0004-1558-0404

Funding

Moods UK Ltd
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

This double-blind positive-controlled study investigated the potential for the aroma of a novel blend of essential oils, Genius to enhance cognitive performance and mood in healthy adults, and whether any such benefits might be related to changes in cerebrovascular oxygenation measured using Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy. Ninety participants (61 female) were pseudo-randomly allocated to achieve a gender balance across three experimental groups: Genius aroma, Sage aroma (positive control) or no aroma (control). All participants completed mood questionnaires after completing a range of cognitive tasks whilst wearing a Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy headband. Multivariate and subsequent univariate data analysis revealed significant enhancements to memory and executive function tasks in the Genius and sage aroma conditions compared to no aroma with larger effects noted for the Genius blend. Furthermore, the novel blend outperformed the aroma of pure sage and also left participants feeling significantly more alert and less fatigued at the end of the testing session. Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy data indicated that both sage and Genius blend enhanced metabolism during task performance with a greater impact from the Genius aroma. Although suggestive of a mechanism underpinning the enhancements observed no correlations were found between the Near Infra-Red Spectroscopy signals and cognitive performance. This study strengthens the evidence base for the beneficial effects of essential oil aroma inhalation for cognitive performance, however the underlying mechanisms remain elusive.

Indexed as

AromatherapyBrainCognitionOils, VolatileAdultAffectDouble-Blind MethodExecutive FunctionFemaleHumansMaleOdorantsSpectroscopy, Near-InfraredYoung AdultOils, Volatile

Identifiers

PMID41257537
PMCPMC12628357

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.