Yang et al.BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2015)15:93 Page 4 of 8 Enrollment Six Institutions Stratified sampling Three VA Homes(n=156) Three LTC Facilities(n=120) Randomized Allocation A0ma8yr件gp0=82) VA Homein=50） Aroma-group=10的 Control-group(n=88) VAHomen=50） LTC facilit=2）) VA Homen=5的 LTC facility(n=50) LTC facility (n=38) Excluded(n=26) Excluded.(n=33) Excluded-(n=31) ◆-Declinedto ◆D1ind1c participa a=25 ◆0比150时 ◆0t壮英0 ◆0hg0n3 a=5) 红=8 位=3 Aroma-acupressur行p Aroma-group Control-group Acdt0i世ro=50 Allocated tointervention/n=73) A1 located toim320r=5刀 ◆Received allocated interventio如 ◆Received allocatedintervention在=3y） ◆R.d-allocated interventi0n在=57） 红=56-） Follow-Up Follow-up(a=5句 Follow-up(n=73y Follow-up(n=57) Analysis Analyied CMAIdata(n=56) Analysed CMAIdatan=73) Analyzed C1AId0=3） Ad-B.Vda红=0)，complete Arad-HB.Vdata红=61)，complete Anad-HB.V data红=49y, io:89296 0.83.696 completeratio:8696 ◆Excluded fom HRVanalvais(n=-. .Excluded fom HRV-analysis(n=12)Due ◆Excluded fom HR.V知ya=8) Due to participants'un-cooperation. to participanta'un-cooperation. Dt0 participant'出-80pza0 Figure 1 Participant flow in the study following the interventions.After further comparison of the According to the HRV,the LF/HF was significantly declining CMAl scores between the aroma-acupressure higher compared with the control group only in the aroma- and aromatherapy groups in the post-test and post- acupressure group;each measurement in the aroma- three-week assessments,the decline in the aroma-acupressure group was significantly higher compared with acupressure group was larger compared with that in the the control group.The result is generally consistent with aromatherapy group,which demonstrates that aroma- previous acupuncture study,which showed the sympathetic acupressure was better able to improve agitation com- nervous system activity in the aroma-acupressure group pared with aromatherapy. was stronger compared with the control group [19];thisfollowing the interventions. After further comparison of the declining CMAI scores between the aroma-acupressure and aromatherapy groups in the post-test and post￾three-week assessments, the decline in the aroma￾acupressure group was larger compared with that in the aromatherapy group, which demonstrates that aroma￾acupressure was better able to improve agitation com￾pared with aromatherapy. According to the HRV, the LF/HF was significantly higher compared with the control group only in the aroma￾acupressure group; each measurement in the aroma￾acupressure group was significantly higher compared with the control group. The result is generally consistent with previous acupuncture study, which showed the sympathetic nervous system activity in the aroma-acupressure group was stronger compared with the control group [19]; this Figure 1 Participant flow in the study. Yang et al. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine (2015) 15:93 Page 4 of 8