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Effects of a Tailored Lighting Intervention on Sleep Quality, Rest-Activity, Mood, and Behavior in Older Adults With Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias: A Randomized Clinical Trial
Figueiro MG, Plitnick B, Roohan C, Sahin L, Kalsher M, Rea MS.. Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, 2019-11-08
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
Study objectives We investigated the effectiveness of a lighting intervention tailored to maximally affect the circadian system as a nonpharmacological therapy for treating problems with sleep, mood, and behavior in persons with Alzheimer disease and related dementias (ADRD). Methods This 14-week randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover design clinical trial administered an all-day active or control lighting intervention to 46 patients with ADRD in 8 long-term care facilities for two 4-week periods (separated by a 4-week washout). The study employed wrist-worn actigraphy measures and standardized measures of sleep quality, mood, and behavior. Results The active intervention significantly improved Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores compared to the active baseline and control intervention (mean ± SEM: 6.67 ± 0.48 after active intervention, 10.30 ± 0.40 at active baseline, 8.41 ± 0.47 after control intervention). The active intervention also resulted in significantly greater active versus control differences in intradaily variability. As for secondary outcomes, the active intervention resulted in significant improvements in Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia scores (mean ± SEM: 10.30 ± 1.02 at baseline, 7.05 ± 0.67 after active intervention) and significantly greater active versus control differences in Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory scores (mean ± SEM: -5.51 ± 1.03 for the active intervention, -1.50 ± 1.24 for the control intervention). Conclusions A lighting intervention tailored to maximally entrain the circadian system can improve sleep, mood, and behavior in patients with dementia living in controlled environments. Clinical trial registration Registry: ClinicalTrials.gov, title: Methodology Issues in a Tailored Light Treatment for Persons With Dementia, URL: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01816152, identifier: NCT01816152.
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APA 7th
Figueiro, M. G., Plitnick, B., Roohan, C., Sahin, L., Kalsher, M., & Rea, M. S. (2019). Effects of a Tailored Lighting Intervention on Sleep Quality, Rest-Activity, Mood, and Behavior in Older Adults With Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.8078
Vancouver
Figueiro MG, Plitnick B, Roohan C, Sahin L, Kalsher M, Rea MS. Effects of a Tailored Lighting Intervention on Sleep Quality, Rest-Activity, Mood, and Behavior in Older Adults With Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. 2019. doi:10.5664/jcsm.8078. PMID: 31855161.
BibTeX
@article{figueiro2019-31855161,
author = {Figueiro, M. G. and Plitnick, B. and Roohan, C. and Sahin, L. and Kalsher, M. and Rea, M. S.},
title = {{Effects of a Tailored Lighting Intervention on Sleep Quality, Rest-Activity, Mood, and Behavior in Older Adults With Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementias: A Randomized Clinical Trial}},
journal = {Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine},
year = {2019},
doi = {10.5664/jcsm.8078},
pmid = {31855161},
url = {https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.8078}
}
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Key findings
- Results The active intervention significantly improved Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index scores compared to the active baseline and control intervention (mean ± SEM: 6.67 ± 0.48 after active intervention, 10.30 ± 0.40 at active baseline, 8.41 ± 0.47 after control intervention).
- The active intervention also resulted in significantly greater active versus control differences in intradaily variability.
- As for secondary outcomes, the active intervention resulted in significant improvements in Cornell Scale for Depression in Dementia scores (mean ± SEM: 10.30 ± 1.02 at baseline, 7.05 ± 0.67 after active intervention) and significantly greater active versus control differences in Cohen-Mansfield Agitation Inventory scores (mean ± SEM: -5.51 ± 1.03 for the active intervention, -1.50 ± 1.24 for the control intervention).
Why it matters
In this 14-week randomized crossover trial of 46 patients with Alzheimer disease and related dementias in long-term care, a tailored active lighting intervention significantly improved sleep quality scores and resulted in significant improvements in depression scores and greater active-versus-control differences in agitation scores. The intervention is a nonpharmacological therapy for sleep, mood, and behavior problems.
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Study details
- Participants46
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 63/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a randomised controlled trial. Scored zero for effect reported because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of clinical sleep medicine : JCSM : official publication of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine: journal h-index 156 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 11 / 12 | A randomised controlled trial (from PubMed type “Randomized Controlled Trial”) |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2019 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 1 / 4 | 46 participants |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 3 / 3 | Studied in people (participant count stated) |
| Randomised / blinded | 2 / 2 | Randomised and blinded or placebo-controlled (as stated in the record) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 115 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 12.8 citations a year over 9 year(s) since 2019 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 6.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 34 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 3 / 4 | Last-listed author Mark S. Rea: h-index 59 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute: institution h-index 586 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 2 / 3 | PubMed indexes it as a multicentre study |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 31855161) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 63 / 100 | — |
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