Proper Lighting Can Reduce Alzheimer's Symptoms

Writer：Jane Time：2021-06-19 Browse：151

A study has found that the right lighting can reduce symptoms in people with Alzheimer's. In a 14-week clinical trial, 46 patients with Alzheimer's and other dementias improved sleep quality and reduced depression and anxiety by stimulating their sleep cycles with light.

The premise of the study is that elderly people in eldercare facilities are typically exposed to very little outdoor lighting, relatively dim indoor lighting during the day, and at night to conditions that may be too bright for healthy circadian regulation. While typical indoor lighting provides less than 100 lux of light, on a sunny day, outdoor lighting provides a range of light from 1000 to 10,000 lux. As a result, they do not experience the strong circadian rhythm that synchronizes with the local sunrise and sunset.

Scientists say it's understandable that many elderly people in elderly care facilities suffer from insomnia and other sleep disorders, and that sleep is important to their overall health and well-being. Research has shown that poor sleep may directly affect the onset and progression of Alzheimer's disease, and conversely, healthy, regular sleep patterns may prevent or delay the progression of the disease. These patients experience severe sleep-wake cycle dysfunction, including excessive daytime sleepiness, nocturnal wandering, restlessness, irritability, day-night reversal, and decreased cognitive function. The challenges caregivers face with these patients are more due to lack of sleep and anxiety than to the disease itself.

Funded by the National Institute on Aging, Led by Dr. Mariana Figueiro, Professor and Director of the Lighting Research Center at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

The lighting intervention is not designed to directly affect Alzheimer's disease. The right lighting may improve patients' quality of life and allow caregivers to work more effectively with patients. The researchers wanted to study whether a tailored lighting intervention could reduce the effects of symptoms in people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Mini Lighting They used a variety of light sources, including free-standing lamps, light boxes, etc., to provide tailored and personalized lighting, and used the circadian rhythm (CS) indicator developed by Figueiro and the LRC team to characterize exposure.

The experiment lasted 14 weeks, and the light gave the patients 0.4 percent of their circadian rhythm stimulation.

With appropriate use of CS and different delivery methods, and precise measurements using calibrated illuminometer devices, lighting interventions tailored to the circadian system can significantly improve sleep quality, depressive symptoms and agitated behavior in patients with ADRD, "Figueiro said. It is important to use, provide and measure the right light, To see the positive results.

The researchers used an activity recorder on the wrist to record exercise ability. The Mini Lighting research team used standardized techniques to qualitatively describe sleep quality, mood and behavior. Patients who received the active intervention have been documented to enjoy better sleep and fuller days.

The 24-hour pattern of light and shade strongly determines a person's sleep-wake (circadian) cycle, which tells the body when to sleep and when to wake up. Studies have shown that daytime exposure to CS>0.3 (approximately 350-500 Lux in the eye) increases nighttime sleep efficiency and daytime wakefulness by promoting circadian rhythms.