2013-2014 Alzheimer’s and Related Diseases Research Award*

Bright Light Therapy for Individuals with Dementia

VCoA*The Virginia Center on Aging which administers the Alzheimer’s and Related Diseases Research Award Fund for the Commonwealth of Virginia, provides seed money to researchers in Virginia to stimulate innovative research into biomedical and psychosocial aspects of dementia, including cell biology, caregiving, and animal modeling.


Bright Light Therapy for Individuals with Dementia

Lisa L. Onega, PhD, RN

Radford University 

Many older adults with dementia living in long-term care facilities experience depression and agitation. Current treatments for depression and agitation are primarily behavioral and pharmacological. While research results to date are still inconclusive, bright light exposure appears to reduce depression and agitation in these residents. This experimental study seeks to determine whether or not bright light therapy is an effective treatment that can be added to the available repertoire of strategies used to treat these conditions. If bright light therapy, a safe, low-cost intervention, reduces depression and agitation in older adults with dementia, benefits would include improved quality of life, reduced use of medications for depression and agitation, and reduced personal and societal costs.

(Dr. Onega may be contacted at 540/831-7647, lonega@radford.edu)

 

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