本研究探討檜木精油芳香療法對經痛的緩解作用，並利用視覺工作記憶任務來探討其背後的神經機制。吾人使用結構性磁振造影(sMRI)和腦磁圖(MEG)，來檢測檜木精油芳香療法如何影響女性受試者在腦磁圖掃描期間的視覺工作記憶任務表現。此外，吾人也測量了受試者的任務行為表現（準確率和反應時間），以評估整體工作記憶功能。研究共招募了 24 名健康女性受試者，在非月經期和月經期都進行了視覺工作記憶任務。吾人比較有無使用芳香療法的受試者在神經生理測量方面的表現（腦活化源的時空排列置換檢驗）。統計結果表明，經痛受試者在接受芳香療法後，準確率/反應時間的比率顯著提升，顯示芳香療法可增強經痛者的工作記憶效率。腦磁圖分析提供了視覺工作記憶任務期間誘發反應的高時間分辨率，可以精確判定大腦活動的變化區間。腦活化源定位分析識別出與經痛相關的特定大腦區域，包括記憶相關區域（left entorhinal cortex, inferior temporal gyrus, primary visual cortex, retrosplenial cortex, and presubiculum），這些區域在大腦記憶處理中扮演關鍵角色，在測驗期間可能形成更「簡化」的處理通路，其中刺激物可以輕易地被「匹配」，誘發「記憶痛感」反應；另外還有意識相關區域（insula and claustrum），可能涉及更「複雜」的處理路徑。這些測驗可能需要增加認知努力來識別「不匹配」項，並可能引發與意外刺激相關的情緒或「意識痛感」反應。這些結果表明，工作記憶任務可能作為檜木精油芳香療法緩解經痛效果的媒介角色，透過將特定時間範圍內的腦波能量集中在識別出的腦區。芳香療法可透過調節記憶和意識相關的大腦活動來減輕經痛。在腦磁圖掃描期間使用芳香療法後，這些與記憶和意識相關的大腦區域的活動減少，可能作為經痛緩解的生物標誌物。這些發現為進一步開發檜木精油芳香療法作為經痛的替代療法提供了依據。並對研究痛覺、記憶與意識的交互作用提供了嶄新的視角。

This study investigated the potential of Hinoki aromatherapy to alleviate dysmenorrhea and identify potential biomarkers of relief through its effects on brain activity during a visual working memory (VWM) task. Structural magnetic resonance imaging and magnetoencephalography (MEG) were used to examine how Hinoki aromatherapy, administered during the MEG session, modulates neurophysiological responses related to working memory. Behavioral performance (accuracy and reaction time) was also measured to assess overall working memory function. Twenty-four healthy participants completed the VWM task during both non-menstruation and menstruation. Neurophysiological measures (permutation t-tests on source data) were evaluated with and without aromatherapy administration. The results revealed a significant improvement in the accuracy-to-reaction time ratio for participants with dysmenorrhea after receiving aromatherapy. This suggests that aromatherapy may enhance working memory efficiency in this population. MEG analysis provided high temporal resolution of evoked responses during the VWM task, allowing for precise determination of brain activity changes. Source localization identified specific brain regions involved in dysmenorrhea, including memory-related areas (left entorhinal cortex, inferior temporal gyrus, primary visual cortex, retrosplenial cortex, and presubiculum) and consciousness-related areas (insula and claustrum). These findings suggest that working memory tasks, by focusing brainwave energy in specific time ranges within the identified brain regions, may act as a mediator for Hinoki aromatherapy's pain-reducing effects. The observed decrease in activity within these memory-related and consciousness-related brain regions following Hinoki aromatherapy administration during the MEG session holds promise for their development as biomarkers of dysmenorrhea relief.

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