The use of daytime bright lighting to improve the circadian rhythm of elderly persons was associated with modest improvement in symptoms of dementia, and the addition of the use of melatonin resulted in improved sleep. “In elderly patients with dementia, cognitive decline is frequently accompanied by disturbances of mood, behavior, sleep, [...]
An inexpensive combination treatment has modest positive effects. Many patients with dementia have disturbed sleep–wake cycles along with deteriorating cognition, mood, and behavioral organization. These researchers investigated the effects of bright light and melatonin, two major synchronizers of the circadian pacemaker, in 189 residents of 12 Dutch assisted-care facilities. Facilities were [...]
Several very recent studies, most notably research from a team headed by Dr. George Brainard at Thomas Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia, have identified the specific wavelengths of blue light, 446-477nm, that are crucial in suppressing melatonin production in humans.1, 2, 3, 4 As Dr. Brainard notes, “This discovery will have [...]