The effects of bright light therapy on sleep in persons with dementia

Abstract

Background: The circadian rhythm which is produced by the suprachiasmatic nuclei controls the rest-activity and sleep-wake cycles. Circadian disturbances in persons with dementia might be improved and reversed by light exposure. Purpose of this study: The aim of this dissertation was to examine the effect of bright light on sleep in persons with dementia. Research question: The Population Intervention Comparison Outcome (PICO) framework was used to formulate this research question: “In persons with dementia (P), how does bright light therapy (I) influence sleep (O) when compared to ambient light (C)?” Method used: Literature review was extracted from PubMed, PsycINFO, MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus, Cochrane Database of systematic reviews and Google Scholar. An inclusion and exclusion criteria was set up and all of the resulted citations were assessed for eligibility and relevance following a PRISMA flow chart. A total of six randomised controlled trials were retrieved and appraised using the Centre for Evidence Base Management (CEBM) tool. Results: The results from the appraised studies revealed that sleep was not improved following bright light therapy in persons with dementia. However, results suggest that the circadian rhythm was improved while participants were less awake during the night and had longer sleep bouts. Recommendations: It is recommended that persons with dementia increase their daily light exposure. Education through ward meetings should be organised to highlight the importance among health care professional of the exposure of light intensity among persons with dementia. Policies for practice should be based on a high circadian stimulation during the day and low circadian stimulation at night. Further research to determine which modality of light therapy, at what time of day, intensity and duration should be explored. Conclusion: In light of these results it could be concluded that improves rest among persons with dementia rather than sleep.