Short-term effects of repeated olfactory administration of homeopathic Sulphur or Pulsatilla on electroencephalographic alpha power in healthy young adults

Iris R. Bell; Audrey J. Brooks; Amy Howerter; Nicholas Jackson; Gary E. Schwartz

doi:10.1016/j.homp.2011.06.005

Homeopathy, Table of Contents

Homeopathy 2011; 100(04): 203-211
DOI: 10.1016/j.homp.2011.06.005

Original Paper

Short-term effects of repeated olfactory administration of homeopathic Sulphur or Pulsatilla on electroencephalographic alpha power in healthy young adults

Iris R. Bell

¹Department of Family & Community Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

²Department of Psychiatry, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

³Department of Psychology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

⁴Department of Medicine (Integrative Medicine), The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

⁵Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

,

Audrey J. Brooks

³Department of Psychology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

⁴Department of Medicine (Integrative Medicine), The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

,

Amy Howerter

¹Department of Family & Community Medicine, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

,

Nicholas Jackson

⁵Mel & Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

,

Gary E. Schwartz

³Department of Psychology, The University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, USA

› Author Affiliations
Subject Editor:

Abstract

Introduction: Homeopathic pathogenetic trials usually rely on symptom self report measures. Adding objective biomarkers could enhance detection of subtle initial remedy effects. The present feasibility study examined electroencephalographic (EEG) effects of repeated olfactory administration of two polycrest remedies.

Methods: College student volunteers (ages 18–30, both sexes) from an introductory psychology course were screened for good health and relatively elevated Sulphur or Pulsatilla symptom scores on the Homeopathic Constitutional Type Questionnaire (CTQ). Subjects underwent a series of 3 once-weekly double-blind sessions during which they repeatedly sniffed the remedy matched to their CTQ type and solvent controls. Each remedy was given in a 6c, 12c, and 30c potency, one potency per week, in randomly assigned order. Solvent controls included both plain distilled water and a water–ethanol (95%) solution. All sniff test solutions were further diluted just prior to laboratory sessions (0.5 ml test solution in 150 ml distilled water). Within a session, remedies and control solvents were administered via 2-s sniffs (8 sniffs of each of 4 different succussion levels for the potency in randomized order). Primary outcome variable was relative EEG power (alpha 1 8–10 Hz; alpha 2 10–12 Hz) averaged over 19 electrode sites, including all succussions for a given potency.

Results: Mixed-effect models revealed significant main effects for remedy type (Sulphur > Pulsatilla) in both alpha bands, controlling for gender, baseline resting EEG alpha, and solvent control responses. Additional analyses showed significant nonlinear interactions between dilution and time (weekly session) in alpha 2 for both remedies and alpha 1 for Sulphur.

Conclusion: EEG alpha offers an objective biomarker of remedy effects for future studies and potential method for distinguishing time-dependent effects of specific remedies and remedy potencies from one another.

Keywords

Electroencephalography - Homeopathy - Sulphur - Pulsatilla - EEG alpha - Repeated measures - Sniffing - Olfactory administration - Nonlinear dynamics

Full Text

References

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