Effect of Rose Odor Exposure on Ictal Apnea

This study will investigate the potential benefits of rose scent in reducing the risk of Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy (SUDEP) in patients with epilepsy. Participants will engage in their routine inpatient observational EEG monitoring for 24 hours followed by an additional 24 hours of observational EEG monitoring with continuous exposure to rose scent, during which an essential oil diffusor with rose scent will be placed in their hospital room. During these 48 total hours of the study, participants will wear a respiratory monitoring belt across their upper chest to measure their breathing. Potential risks include distress or discomfort when smelling the rose scent used in the study, a physical reaction to the rose scent, and discomfort or feelings of restrictiveness when wearing the respiratory monitoring belt. The total time commitment of the study is 48 consecutive hours over the course of the participants' inpatient EMU stay, during which there will be no restrictions on daily activities during the standard inpatient EMU admission except that participants must wear their respiratory belt for a majority of this 2-day period.

NCT Number	NCT07116421
Lead Sponsor	Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Conditions	Epilepsy, Sudden Unexpected Death in Epilepsy
Enrollment	40 participants
Start Date	2025-07-01
Primary Completion	2027-05-08 (estimated)
Study Completion	2027-05-08 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-06-11