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Good smells and bright light are good "medicine" for people with dementia

August 18, 2003

Aromatherapy and bright light therapy can reduce symptoms such as agitation and sleep disturbances and improve the quality of life for people with Alzheimer's disease and other dementias, according to information presented here today at the 11th Congress of the International Psychogeriatric Association (IPA). The addition of these alternative medicine techniques to treatment plans also may improve the quality of life for caregivers, researchers reported.

Bright Light Therapy
"Patients who sat in front of a bright light box for two hours each morning for two weeks slept longer and more deeply than people who sat in front of dim light for the same period of time," said E. Jane Byrne, MRCP, department of old age psychiatry, Manchester Royal Infirmary, Manchester, United Kingdom. The benefits of bright light were significantly greater in the winter months when the days are shorter and people are exposed to less sunlight.
Patients in the study, which was supported by the Mental Health Foundation, UK, included 48 nursing home residents diagnosed with Alzheimer's or other diseases that cause memory loss, dementia, or mental confusion. The overall duration of sleep and patients' level of activity during sleep - or "tossing and turning" - were measured with wristwatch-like devices
called "actigraphs" that were worn by the patients in the study.

"Ours is the largest randomized, placebo-controlled study to demonstrate the benefits of bright light to improve symptoms of Alzheimer's and similar diseases and make life more comfortable for patients and the people who take care of them, and the first to show that this effect is greatest in the winter when there is less natural sunlight," said Harry Allen, MRCP, consultant psychiatrist at Manchester Royal Infirmary and co-author of the study. "Sometimes, the ability to control these symptoms can make the difference between being able to keep a loved one at home or institutionalization," he said.

Lightboxes that gave off 100,000 lux of light were used in the study. "Light boxes such as the ones we used are widely available and cost approximately $150," Dr. Allen said. For people who cannot afford the boxes, Dr. Allen recommends planning daily activities, such as breakfast or other meals, during the brightest parts of the day and in areas where patients are facing a window; and having daily outings to parks, gardens or even the front porch or back yard during the sunniest times of day and in places that get the most sun.
"Most of us have had the experience of feeling our mood improve when we are exposed to bright sunlight," Dr. Allen said. "Too often we shut people with dementia up in dark rooms with little opportunity to see the sun or other bright light, which can make their symptoms worse."

Aromatherapy
In a related presentation, researchers found that aromatherapy with Melissa balm significantly improved agitation in people with severe dementias. In the randomized, placebo-controlled trial, 72 nursing home residents who suffered frequent bouts of agitation due to severe dementia were divided into two groups. One group was exposed to lemon balm, an essential oil that was applied in a base cream by brief massage; while sunflower oil, an odorless substance, was used for the second group.
" Over a four-week period of treatment, 35 percent of patients in the lemon balm group showed an overall improvement in agitation, compared to 11 percent in the placebo group," said Professor Clive Ballard, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. "Patients exposed to lemon balm also showed significant improvements in the quality of life,
including a decrease in social withdrawal and an increase in constructive activities.

Snell Communications Ltd