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Using Light to Manage Sleep-Wake Issues in Patients With Dementia

Although research has yet to provide a definitive answer about whether circadian-active light can benefit patients with dementia, a VA pilot study shows promising results.
Federal Practitioner. 2015 February;32(2):42-45
February 17, 2015|Federal Practitioner
Thomas R. Hornick, MD;Patricia A. Higgins, RN, PhD;Mark E. Duffy, PhD;William W. Beers, PhD;Mariana G. Figueiro, PhD
Author and Disclosure Information

Dr. Hornick is a geriatrician and Dr. Higgins is a nursing scientist, both at the Louis Stokes Cleveland VAMC/GRECC in Ohio. Dr. Duffy is a LFL Global Industry Standard manager and Dr. Beers is a DFSS Black Belt/Senior Systems Engineer at GE Lighting, all in Cleveland, Ohio. Dr. Figueiro is Light and Health Program director and associate professor at the Lighting Research Center, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, in Troy, New York. Dr. Hornick is an associate professor of medicine and Dr. Higgins is an associate professor of nursing at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland.

Acknowledgements
The work discussed in this paper was funded in part by the Cleveland VISN 10 GRECC and the National Institute on Aging (grant # R01AG034157; Figueiro PI). GE Lighting, Cleveland, OH, USA donated the lamps used in the study.

Author disclosures
The authors report no actual or potential conflicts of interest with regard to this article.

Disclaimer
The opinions expressed herein are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of Federal Practitioner, Frontline Medical Communications Inc., the U.S. Government, or any of its agencies. This article may discuss unlabeled or investigational use of certain drugs. Please review the complete prescribing information for specific drugs or drug combinations—including indications, contraindications, warnings, and adverse effects—before administering pharmacologic therapy to patients.

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