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How Light Therapy Can Help Alzheimer's Disease |
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Written by Eryl Price
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Alzheimer's disease is the most common type of dementia,
accounting for around half of all cases, and affects about
450,000 people in the UK.
The disease affects the structure of brain fibers, causing
'tangles' and hardening that disrupts the transmission of
impulses between brain cells.
It's still unclear what causes Alzheimer's disease but it is
possible to make life easier for the individual - and their
carers - by treating some of the symptoms.
Alzheimer's is a progressive disease, which means that
gradually, more and more parts of the brain are damaged and
symptoms become more severe.
-Lapses of memory, problems finding the right words. -Become
confused, even forgetting the names of family members and other
familiar people and places. -Experience mood swings. They may
become aggressive or agitated, feel sad or angry. They may feel
scared and frustrated by their increasing memory loss. -Become
more withdrawn, partly because it becomes difficult to
communicate and also because they lose confidence. -Loss of
mobility, clumsiness, they may begin to shuffle rather than walk.
Eventually individuals will require round-the-clock support and
help with all their daily activities.
Sundowning is one of the symptoms more common in advanced cases
of Alzheimers', possibly because the disease begins to affect
the parts of the brain that control the circadian rhythms, the
body clock and the sleep-wake cycle.
People with Alzheimer's disease (and many other forms of
dementia) are often at their best early in the day. Sundowning
is the term used to describe the increased agitation and
confusion that typically occurs in the late afternoon and
evening and sufferers are often found up and about in the middle
of the night.
The combination of damaged nerve pathways caused by Alzheimer's
disease and normal deterioration of the eyes due to aging,
means that levels of light (especially indoors) are not usually
sufficient to signal that it is daytime. If the internal body
clock is not tuned in to the usual daily pattern, this affects
not only the wake-up process but also the activity and sleep
cycles that come into force in the evening.
There are a growing number of studies to show that better and
brighter lighting can help improve sundowning behavior and
reduce sleep/wake disturbances, particularly in the most severe
cases. Morning sessions in front of a bright light can be
particularly effective e.g. using 2,500lux lights for an hour or
so and improving overall lighting conditions also had positive
effects.
There is also some evidence to show that dawn/dusk simulation
can be helpful in re-aligning the body clock to promote a better
sleep/activity cycle.
About the Author:
Lumie provide comprehensive information on a range
of problems that can be helped by light therapy - such as SAD,
winter blues, jet lag, sleep problems and more; and have a forum
where people can discuss these issues. Lumie also stock high
quality light therapy products, such as dawn simulators, light
boxes and light visors. Visit the website:
Lumie.com
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