journal articles
USING ENVIRONMENTAL LIGHT THERAPY TO IMPROVE SLEEP AND NEUROPSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMS IN ALZHEIMER SPECIAL CARE UNIT
S. Gonfrier, S. Al Rifai, L. Benattar, S. Bernabé, O. Guérin
Jour Nursing Home Res 2018;4:1-4
No study has been able to definitively demonstrate that it is effective at improving the behavior of patients with ADRS. The main objective of our study was to assess the influence of environmental light therapy (from 5 am to 10 pm) on nocturnal sleep patterns of individuals with ADRS. Secondary objectives were to study the time spent sleeping during the day, the level of anxiety based on the COVI scale, and the extent of behavioral disorders based on the NPI scale.Twelve nursing home residents were studied who were exposed to integrated light therapy in common areas. The residents were equipped with a wrist or ankle actimeter for 42 days. This time period was divided into three periods of 14 days, with standard lighting in period 1 and 3, and light therapy during period 2. Their sleep time was determined using Cole-Kripke algorithms. Neuropsychiatric symptoms were assessed based on the COVI scale for anxiety and the neuropsychiatric inventory (NPI).Duration of nocturnal sleep was significantly higher with light therapy by 15.8 minutes on average, the total sleep time during period 2 was significantly increased by 55.1 minutes compared to period 1. The COVI scale measurements indicated that there was a significant decrease of 0.7 points and the NPI scale decreased significantly by 4.9 points between periods 1 and 2. The use of environmental light therapy resulted in a significant increase in the nocturnal sleep and total sleep times, as well as improvement of the level of anxiety and in terms of behavior.
CITATION:
S. Gonfrier ; S. Al Rifai ; L. Benattar ; S. Bernabé ; O. Guérin (2018): Using environmental light therapy to improve sleep and neuropsychiatric symptoms in Alzheimer special care unit. The Journal of Nursing Home Research Science (JNHRS). http://dx.doi.org/10.14283/jnhrs.2018.1