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Bright light improves dementia... |
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Bright Light Improves Dementia Symptoms
Study shows brighter daytime lighting brings
improvement in mood, behavior.
By Kelli Miller Stacy
WebMD Health News
Turning up the lights during the daytime may boost
mood and improve behavior in elderly adults with
dementia, according to a new study.
Mood
swings, sleep problems, and behavioral issues
frequently affect those with dementia-related
cognitive decline. Such disturbances can increase
the person's risk of being admitted to an assisted
living facility, according to background information
in the journal article.
Environmental light affects the body's 24-hour
biological clock, also known as the circadian
rhythm. Too little light exposure can throw off the
sensitive balance of the circadian timing system.
Disturbances in circadian rhythm can lead to sleep
woes. A hormone called melatonin also plays an
important role in the maintaining the system's
circadian rhythm.
Rixt
F. Riemersma-van der Lek, MD, of the Royal
Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, Amsterdam,
and colleagues wanted to see how bright light with
or without melatonin supplements would effect
symptoms of dementia and sleep disturbances.
Their study is published in the June 11 issue of The
Journal of the American Medical Association.
The
study included 189 adults about 86 years old on
average, mostly female, at 12 elder care facilities
in the Netherlands. Most participants had dementia.
Researchers randomly assigned the participants to a
daily dose of melatonin or placebo (fake pill). The
patients took the study medicine every night for an
average of 15 months.
The
facilities kept their lights on each day from about
9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; half of the facilities increased
the intensity of their ceiling-mounted lights.
The
researchers learned that bright light resulted in a
modest improvement in dementia symptoms.
Specifically, the use of bright daytime lighting:
-
Reduced cognitive scores on a mental status exam
by a relative 5%.
-
Cut depression symptoms by a relative 19%
-
Calmed slow increases in functional limitations
by slightly more than half (53%).
Adding melatonin helped patients fall asleep about
eight minutes faster and sleep longer by 27 minutes.
The researchers recommend melatonin supplements only
in combination with light. Melatonin combined with
brighter lighting cut agitated behavior by 9%.
"The
simple measure of increasing the illumination level
in group care facilities [improved] symptoms of
disturbed cognition, mood, behavior, functional
abilities, and sleep," the researchers write. "The
long-term application of whole-day bright light did
not have adverse effects ... and could be considered
for use in care facilities for elderly individuals
with dementia."
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"The
long-term application of whole-day bright light did
not have adverse effects ... and could be considered
for use in care facilities for elderly individuals
with dementia." |
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