Tailored Light Improves Quality of Life for Older Adults With Alzheimer's Disease

A study in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine considered whether tailored lighting intervention can mitigate the effect of sleep disturbances, depression, and agitation in older adults with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD), reports Medical Xpress . The 14-week randomized trial administered an all-day active or control lighting intervention to 46 subjects with moderate to late-stage ADRD in eight long-term care centers, with wrist-worn actigraphy and standardized measures of sleep quality, mood, and behavior utilized. The outcomes showed that in comparison with baseline, the active lighting intervention significantly enhanced sleep quality, and reduced depressive symptoms and agitation. Older adults in long-term care communities typically spend their days and nights in dimly-lit rooms with minimal time spent outdoors, and therefore do not experience the robust daily patterns of light and dark that synchronize the body's circadian rhythms to local sunrise and sunset. One example of successful tailored lighting intervention is the light table, which can deliver a strong dose of light to the eyes, and help stimulate the circadian system. "When delivered appropriately, using circadian stimulus and different delivery modes, and accurately measured, using calibrated personal light meter devices, a lighting intervention tailored to maximally entrain the circadian system will significantly improve sleep quality, depressive symptoms, and agitation behavior in patients with ADRD," concluded Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Professor Mariana Figueiro.