Effect of Light Treatment on Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Demented Nursing Home Patients

May 25, 2002Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Light treatment's effects on sleep and body clock in nursing home patients with dementia

AI simplified

Circadian Biology on OpenScience ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗

Abstract

Seventy-seven nursing home residents were studied to assess the effects of bright light on sleep quality and activity patterns.

No improvements in nighttime sleep quality or daytime alertness were observed in any treatment group.
Exposure to morning bright light delayed the peak of the activity rhythm (acrophase).
Participants receiving morning bright light showed increased mean activity levels (mesor).
Improved activity rhythmicity was noted in the morning bright light group over the 10-day treatment period.
Changes in circadian rhythm patterns may facilitate nursing care for patients.

AI simplified

OBJECTIVES: To determine whether fragmented sleep in nursing home patients would improve with increased exposure to bright light.

DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial.

SETTING: Two San Diego-area nursing homes.

PARTICIPANTS: Seventy-seven (58 women, 19 men) nursing home residents participated. Mean age +/- standard deviation was 85.7 +/- 7.3 (range 60-100) and mean Mini-Mental State Examination was 12.8 +/- 8.8 (range 0-30).

INTERVENTIONS: Participants were assigned to one of four treatments: evening bright light, morning bright light, daytime sleep restriction, or evening dim red light.

MEASUREMENTS: Improvement in nighttime sleep quality, daytime alertness, and circadian activity rhythm parameters.

RESULTS: There were no improvements in nighttime sleep or daytime alertness in any of the treatment groups. Morning bright light delayed the peak of the activity rhythm (acrophase) and increased the mean activity level (mesor). In addition, subjects in the morning bright light group had improved activity rhythmicity during the 10 days of treatment.

CONCLUSION: Increasing exposure to morning bright light delayed the acrophase of the activity rhythm and made the circadian rhythm more robust. These changes have the potential to be clinically beneficial because it may be easier to provide nursing care to patients whose circadian activity patterns are more socially acceptable.

Full Text

Full text is available at the source.

View full text ↗View full text (PDF) ↗View full text (XML) ↗

Effect of Light Treatment on Sleep and Circadian Rhythms in Demented Nursing Home Patients

Abstract

Full Text

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief

Abstract

Full Text

Related papers

You found one interesting study. We’ll send the next 7.

what lands in your inbox each week:

Recent issues from the circadian biology brief