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The effect of light therapy on sleep disorders and psychobehavioral symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease: A meta-analysis.

PloS one
January 1, 2023
Lili Zang et al. (7 authors)
Meta-AnalysisJournal ArticleHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

To evaluate the efficacy of light therapy in improving sleep disorders and psychobehavioural symptoms in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD).

Results Summary

Light therapy significantly improved sleep efficiency, interdaily stability, and reduced intradaily variability. It also alleviated depression, reduced agitation, and decreased caregiver burden in AD patients.

Population

Patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD)

Effective Dosage

Not Assessed

Duration

Not Assessed

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (8)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
light therapy
increase
sleep efficiency
patients with AD
MD = -2.42, 95% CI = -3.37 to -1.48, p < 0.00001
significantly improved
#1
light therapy
increase
interdaily stability
patients with AD
MD = -0.04, 95% CI = -0.05 to -0.03, p < 0.00001
increased
#2
light therapy
decrease
intradaily variability
patients with AD
MD = -0.07, 95% CI = -0.10 to -0.05, p < 0.00001
reduced
#3
light therapy
decrease
depression
patients with AD
MD = -2.55, 95% CI = -2.98 to -2.12, p < 0.00001
alleviate
#4
light therapy
decrease
agitation
patients with AD
MD = -3.97, 95% CI = -5.09 to -2.84, p < 0.00001
reduce
#5
light therapy
decrease
caregiver burden
patients with AD
MD = -3.57, 95% CI = -5.28 to -1.87, p < 0.00001
reduce
#6
light therapy
increase
sleep and psychobehavioral symptoms
patients with AD
-
leads to significant improvement
#7
light therapy
decrease
side effects
patients with AD
-
is associated with relatively fewer side effects
#8
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Although Alzheimer's disease (AD) mainly affects cognitive function, it is often accompanied by sleep disorders and psychobehavioral symptoms. These symptoms, including depression, agitation, and psychotic symptoms, are prominent hospitalization causes among patients with AD. Currently, relatively more research exists on light therapy for sleep disorders, while those on psychobehavioral symptoms are gradually increasing. However, no consensus exists on these results because of the vulnerability of light therapy to multiple factors, including light intensity and duration. Thus, further research investigating this aspect is warranted. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of light therapy in improving sleep disorders and psychobehavioural symptoms in patients with AD. METHODS: In this meta-analysis, relevant literature was searched in Embase, the Clinical Trials Registry, Web of Science, PubMed, and the Cochrane Library up to December 2022. Furthermore, a fixed-effects model was used for data analysis. RESULTS: Fifteen randomized controlled trials involving 598 patients with AD were included. In the case of sleep disorders, our meta-analysis revealed that light therapy significantly improved sleep efficiency (MD = -2.42, 95% CI = -3.37 to -1.48, p < 0.00001), increased interdaily stability (MD = -0.04, 95% CI = -0.05 to -0.03, p < 0.00001), and reduced intradaily variability (MD = -0.07, 95% CI = -0.10 to -0.05, p < 0.00001). With respect to psychotic behavior, light therapy was found to alleviate depression (MD = -2.55, 95% CI = -2.98 to -2.12, p < 0.00001) as well as reduce agitation (MD = -3.97, 95% CI = -5.09 to -2.84, p < 0.00001) and caregiver burden (MD = -3.57, 95% CI = -5.28 to -1.87, p < 0.00001). CONCLUSION: Light therapy leads to significant improvement in sleep and psychobehavioral symptoms and is associated with relatively fewer side effects in patients with AD, indicating its potential as a promising treatment option for AD.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
HumansAlzheimer DiseaseSleepCognitionSleep Wake DisordersPhototherapy
Study Links
Quality Scores
Safety85
Efficacy90/10
Quality88/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations12
Citations/Year6.0
Relative Citation Ratio2.19
NIH Percentile77.1%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.50
Weight Score3.04
Normalized Score0.88
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