A Brightening Outlook: Bright Light plus Melatonin in Elderly Patients with Dementia

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 randomized to provide daytime bright (1000 lux) or dim (300 lux) light, and residents (mean age, 86; 87% diagnosed with dementia; 90% women) were randomized to receive melatonin (2.5 mg/day) or placebo for a maximum of 3.5 years (mean, 15 months). Mixed-effects regression analyses allowed investigators to account for the substantial amount of missing data, both within subjects and from drop-outs due to death, transfer,…