Blue-White Light Therapy for Circadian Sleep Disorders in Alzheimer’s Disease

Disturbed night-time sleep is common in older persons with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), leading to significant negative effects on the daytime function of the affected person and on the well-being of caregivers. Sedating drugs, the conventional treatment for disturbed sleep, have limited effectiveness and pose increased risk in this population. Disturbed sleep in ADRD is virtually always accompanied by marked disturbances of the circadian system, and research has established that controlled bright-dark light cycles will synchronize that system to the 24-hour solar day. Blue-white light therapy will be studied.

Principal Investigator: Phillip D. Sloane, M.D., M.P.H.

Funding Source: National Center for Complementary & Alternative Medicine

Total Project Period: 07/1/08 – 06/30/12