Barrick, Ann Louise, Sloane, Philip D., Williams, Christianna S., Mitchell, C. Madeline, Connell, Bettye Rose, Wood, Wendy, Hickman, Susan E., Preisser, John S., Zimmerman, Sheryl

Objective: To evaluate the effect of ambient bright light therapy (BLT) on agitation among institutionalized persons with dementia. Methods: High intensity, low glare ambient lighting was installed in activity and dining areas of a state psychiatric hospital unit in North Carolina and a dementia-specific residential care facility in Oregon. The study employed a cluster-unit crossover […]

Nowak, LuAnn, Davis, Jean

The occurrence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is growing, with 68% of cases occurring in women. Declines in global function exacerbated by reversal of day-night patterns, disturbed sleep-wake rhythms, and excessive daytime sleepiness make managing AD difficult. In this study, the authors examined the effect and duration of effect of therapeutic light on sleep, rest-activity, and […]

McCurry, Susan M., Pike, Kenneth C., Vitiello, Michael V., Logsdon, Rebecca G., Larson, Eric B., Teri, Linda

Objectives: To test the effects of walking, light exposure, and a combination intervention (walking, light, and sleep education) on the sleep of persons with Alzheimer’s disease (AD).; Design: Randomized, controlled trial with blinded assessors.; Setting: Independent community living.; Participants: One hundred thirty-two people with AD and their in-home caregivers.; Interventions: Participants were randomly assigned to […]

Most, Els I. S., Scheltens, Philip, Van Someren, Eus J. W.

Background: Depression frequently occurs in the elderly and in patients suffering from dementia. Its cause is largely unknown, but several studies point to a possible contribution of circadian rhythm disturbances. Post-mortem studies on aging, dementia and depression show impaired functioning of the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) which is thought to be involved in the increased prevalence […]

Lancioni, Giulio E., Perilli, Viviana, O’Reilly, Mark F., Singh, Nirbhay N., Sigafoos, Jeff, Bosco, Andrea, Caffò, Alessandro O., Picucci, Luciana, Cassano, Germana, Groeneweg, Jop

The present study (a) extended the assessment of an orientation program involving auditory cues (i.e., verbal messages automatically presented from the destinations) with five patients with Alzheimer’s disease, (b) compared the effects of this program with those of a program with light cues (i.e., a program in which strobe lights were used instead of the […]