Bright Light Soothes Dementia Symptoms

Healthnotes Newswire (July 24, 2008)—The Journal of the American Medical Association reports that bright light may help improve symptoms caused by dementia such as altered moods, disturbed sleep, and the inability to carry out activities of daily living.

Dementia is a common condition worldwide, and Alzheimer’s disease is its most common form. Dementia impairs a person’s memory and ability to think normally and is often associated with changes in behavior, mood, sleep, and the ability to carry out activities of daily living such as bathing or eating. With few simple remedies available, these symptoms create challenges for people with dementia and their caregivers.

Testing showed some clear improvements

In this study, 189 elderly people with Alzheimer’s or other types of dementia were randomly assigned to receive bright light (indirect, ceiling-mounted, whole-day bright light), melatonin (2.5 mg per day), a combination of bright light and melatonin, or neither melatonin nor bright light. Treatments were given daily for an average of 15 months.

When compared with other treatments or no treatments, bright light was associated with no worsening of mental status, an improvement in depressive symptoms, and improved functioning. Melatonin alone improved the ability to fall asleep earlier and increased sleep duration but had an adverse effect on behavior and mood, and increased withdrawn behavior. Bright light plus melatonin improved sleep disturbances, improved agitated behavior and restlessness during sleep, and decreased the duration of awakenings during sleep.

The study’s authors concluded, “The simple measure of increasing the illumination level in group care facilities ameliorated symptoms of disturbed cognition, mood, behavior, functional abilities and sleep. Melatonin improved sleep, but its long-term use by elderly individuals can only be recommended in combination with light to suppress adverse effects on mood.”

People with dementia need structure and safety

Caring for a person with dementia can be challenging, but the following tips may help make it easier:

• It is important for caregivers to work closely with people who are highly trained and familiar with the specific challenges of dementia, such as geriatricians and/or social workers. These professionals can educate caregivers about ways to improve symptoms and keep a person with dementia safe from harming themselves or others. Medications may help improve symptoms or slow the condition’s progression, but many needed changes are often behavioral or environmental.

• A structured, supervised environment is important for people with moderate to severe dementia who cannot care for themselves. A stimulating and caring environment can help them stay active and functional for a longer period of time.

• Consider the following safety precautious if you are caring for someone with dementia: lock doors so that he or she cannot leave the house unsupervised and get lost; keep car keys in an inaccessible place; and put safety latches on appliances such as ovens. It is also a good idea to get a medical alert bracelet for the person under your care to wear.

(JAMA 2008;299:2642–55)