HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ALL ISSUES SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a Colleague Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Ancoli-Israel, S. Articles by Levi, L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Ancoli-Israel, S. Articles by Levi, L.

Effect of Light on Agitation in Institutionalized Patients With Severe Alzheimer Disease

Received March 11, 2002; revised June 29, 2002; accepted July 12, 2002. From the Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego (SA-I,TS,MM,SN), the Veterans Affairs San Diego Healthcare System (SA-I,TS,JC-B,MM,SN,LL), SDSU/UCSD Joint Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology (JLM,PG), the Department of Neurosciences, University of California, San Diego (JC-B,LL), and the Department of Ophthalmology, University of California, San Diego (LL). Address correspondence to Sonia Ancoli-Israel, Ph.D.; Department of Psychiatry 116A, VASDHS, 3350 La Jolla Village Drive, San Diego, Ca 92161. e-mail: sancoliisrael{at}ucsd.edu

OBJECTIVE: Preliminary data suggest that morning bright light might improve symptoms of agitation, a serious problem in patients with dementia. The authors expand on an earlier pilot study by evaluating the effect of bright light therapy on agitated behavior in a large sample of patients with severe dementia. METHODS: Ninety-two patients were randomly assigned to morning bright light, morning dim red light, or evening bright light. Agitation was rated by research staff who observed the patients every 15 minutes throughout the treatment period and by caregivers at one time-point before and one time-point after treatment. RESULTS: Morning bright light delayed the acrophase of the agitation rhythm by over 1.5 hours. Bright light was associated with improved caregivers' ratings but had little effect on observational ratings of agitation. CONCLUSION: Although the result that light shifted the peak of the agitated behavior might be generalizable to patients with milder forms of AD, the fact that agitation was not ameliorated might not be. Because the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) of patients with severe AD is likely to be more degenerated, and the circadian activity rhythms deteriorate as the disease progresses, it is still possible that patients with more intact SCNs, that is, patients with mild or moderate AD, might benefit from light treatment even more than those with severe AD.

Key Words: Alzheimer Disease • Light Treatment • Agitation

This article has been cited by other articles:

				P. Gehrman, M. Marler, J. L. Martin, T. Shochat, J. Corey-Bloom, and S. Ancoli-Israel The Timing of Activity Rhythms in Patients With Dementia Is Related to Survival J. Gerontol. A Biol. Sci. Med. Sci., October 1, 2004; 59(10): M1050 - M1055. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]