Bright-light treatment reduces actigraphic-measured daytime sleep in nursing home patients with dementia: a pilot study.
OBJECTIVE
The authors evaluated the effects of bright-light therapy on daytime sleep among nursing home patients with dementia.


METHODS
Eleven patients with sleep/wake disturbances received 2 hours/day of morning bright-light exposure for 2 weeks. Sleep was measured with actigraphy and nursing staff diaries.


RESULTS
Daytime sleep decreased significantly in the period from rising time to 3:00 P.M. with bright-light treatment. Treatment effects did not last into the 16-week post-treatment period.


CONCLUSIONS
Bright light exposure was effective in reducing daytime sleep in nursing home patients with dementia; this finding is possibly related to bright light's acute alerting effects.
Fetveit
Arne
A
Dept. of Public Health and Primary Health Care, Section for General Practice, University of Bergen, Kalfarveien 31, 5018 Bergen, Norway. Arne.Fetveit@isf.uib.no
Bjorvatn
Bjørn
B
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000544:Alzheimer Disease / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D001143:Arousal; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006707:Homes for the Aged; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D009043:Motor Activity; D009735:Nursing Homes; D010789:Phototherapy; D011594:Psychometrics; D020178:Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D014851:Wakefulness