TDNet Discover

Alzheimer’s Disease affects millions of older people in the United States and sleep disturbances have been linked to mental decline in patients with AD. This research sought to determine whether bright light therapy could serve as an effective non-pharmacological treatment option for Alzheimer’s patients. Multiple databases were searched to find studies meeting the criteria with various search terms and phrases by 3 researchers. The criteria included outcomes on sleep quality, behavioral disturbances, and depression in participants with Alzheimer’s Disease who are treated with bright light therapy from multiple scientific online databases. Specific search parameters were set. Data extraction and quality assessment tools were used to narrow it to 3 studies. The synthesis of the 3 included studies found that there are significant effects on participant sleep quality, moods, and behaviors with no side effects. Results from the studies varied depending on the timing of light therapy, duration, light intensity, gender, and severity of dementia. Bright light therapy can serve as a quality supplemental treatment option for sleep disturbances and their effects such as behavioral disturbances for patients with Alzheimer’s Disease but at this time should not be considered as a stand-alone therapy. Further research is recommended with a specific focus on Alzheimer’s Disease with a direct comparison to different frequencies, duration, and intensity of light therapy