Determining How Indoor Lighting Affects the Brain Health of Older Adults

Well Living Lab, Inc.70 enrolled

Overview

The goal of this randomized, cross-over, single-site trial followed by an exploratory third intervention is to understand how indoor lighting affects different measures of brain health in older adults living in independent living residences. This is a community based study occurring in a local senior living facility. The main question this study aims to answer is: \- How does the quality of ambient indoor lighting an older adult is exposed to affect measures of brain health, such as sleep quality, physical activity, cognitive function, and social engagement? Participants will be exposed to three different indoor lighting conditions for 4 weeks each while performing the following tasks: * Wear a smartwatch throughout the study to measure sleep quality and physical activity * Wear a small, wearable light sensor to measure light exposure during waking hours * Perform cognitive assessments throughout the study to detect any changes between each of the lighting conditions * Complete self-report of surveys to assess independence, social engagement, sleep quality, and mood Results from these tasks will be compared within and between subjects to assess whether the different lighting conditions affect these different measures of brain health.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

PREVENTION

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Sleep Physical Activity

Interventions

Static Lighting Condition (L1)BEHAVIORAL

This indoor lighting condition keeps a constant brightness and correlated color temperature.

Dynamic Lighting Condition (L2)BEHAVIORAL

This indoor lighting condition has increased brightness and more blue correlated color temperature in the morning hours followed by decreased brightness and less blue correlated color temperature in the afternoon and evening hours.

Dynamic Lighting Condition (L3)BEHAVIORAL

This exploratory indoor lighting condition matches the same pattern as L2 except the brightness in the morning hours is increased.

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 60 YearsHealthy volunteers:

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: 1. At least age 60; 2. Able to wear wearable devices throughout the study; 3. Willing to have their lighting in their kitchen and dining areas changed and controlled for the study; 4. Willing to have environmental sensors placed in their residence; 5. Willing to provide contact information about their primary care provider (PCP); and 6. Able and has capacity to provide informed consent (score \> 14.5 based on UBACC consent capacity form). Exclusion Criteria: 1. Is legally blind 2. Previously renovated their living units and no longer have the standard lighting installation offered by the Senior Living Facility; 3. Currently spend or plan to spend most of their day outside of their residence during the study (i.e., would not experience the indoor lighting intervention for the majority of the study); 4. Plan to travel to a different time zone during the study; or 5. Plan to be away from their residence for more than a week during the study.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Total Sleep Time

Total sleep time per night in minutes as measured daily by a wearable device.

Time frame: Change in total sleep time per night over the course of each condition of the 16-week study.

Wake After Sleep Onset

Wake after sleep onset per night in minutes as measured daily by a wearable device.

Time frame: Change in wake after sleep onset per night over the course of each condition of the 16-week study.

Sleep State Duration

Sleep state duration per night in minutes as measured daily by a wearable device.

Time frame: Change in sleep state duration per night over the course of each condition of the 16-week study.

Secondary Outcomes

Sleep Quality

Self-report measurement of perceived sleep quality made daily via the Groningen Sleep Quality Survey.

Time frame: Change in self-reported sleep quality over the course of each condition of the 16-week study.

Steps Taken

Physical activity in steps per day as measured daily by a wearable device.

Time frame: Change in physical activity in steps per day over the course of each condition of the 16-week study.

Physical Activity

Physical activity in minutes per day as measured daily by a wearable device.

Time frame: Change in physical activity in minutes per day over the course of each condition of the 16-week study.

Working Memory

Task performance on a working memory assessment taken twice weekly.

Time frame: Change in working memory performance over the course of each condition of the 16-week study.

Task Switching

Task performance on a task switching assessment taken twice weekly.

Time frame: Change in task switching performance over the course of each condition of the 16-week study.

Response Inhibition

Task performance on a response inhibition assessment taken twice weekly.

Time frame: Change in response inhibition performance over the course of each condition of the 16-week study.

Sustained-Attention Reaction Time

Task performance on a sustained-attention reaction time assessment taken twice weekly.

Time frame: Change in sustain-attention reaction time performance over the course of each condition of the 16-week study.

Self-Reported Loneliness

Self-report measurement of loneliness assessed weekly via the UCLA Loneliness Scale.

Time frame: Change in self-reported loneliness over the course of each condition of the 16-week study.

Self-Reported Depression

Self-report measurement of depression assessed weekly via the Positive and Negative Affect Scale.

Time frame: Change in self-reported depression over the course of each condition of the 16-week study.

Self-Reported Mood

Self-report measurement of mood assessed weekly via the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale.

Time frame: Change in self-reported mood over the course of each condition of the 16-week study.