Effect of Rosa Damascena oil as Adjunctive Treatment for Refractory Seizures in Children

Farah Ashrafzadeh(a)*, Hassan Rakhshandeh(b), Eftekhar Mahmodi(a)

^(a) Devision of Pediatrics Neurology, Ghaem Hospital,

Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS), Mashhad, Iran.

^(b) Pharmaceutical research center of medicinal plants

Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad. Iran.

Background:Several investigations have demonstrated that Rosa damascena has an inhibitory effect on hypothalamus and pituitary system reactivity in the rat. In addition, in a research in department of biophysiology in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences showed essential oil of Rosa damascena has significant antiepileptic effects on pentylentetrazole (PTZ) induced seizure in rat.

Materials and Methods:In this double-blind clinical trial study, we administered essential oil of Rosa damascena to children with refractory epilepsy as an adjunct therapy, and effects were compared with placebo.

This pilot study was performed between "April2004 to March2005".

Results:

16 patients were enrolled, 56.3% (n=9) girls and 43.8% (n=7) boys. Age distribution was from 3 to 13 years old.

All has been under constant treatment for 3-6 weeks (baseline phase). They received any of essential oil or placebo for a period of 4 weeks and between these periods they took only their pre-existing antiepileptic drugs for two weeks (washout phase).

The mean frequency of seizures showed significant decrease with essential oil compared with placebo(p=0.00).

Conclusion: It can be concluded that essential oil of Rosa has antiepileptic effect in children with refractory seizures.

Key words: Rosa damascena, refractory epilepsy, children, oil