Improvement of Sleep Disorders in Patients With Alzheimer's Disease After Sunlight Exposure Therapy.

N/AActive Not RecruitingNCT07386808

National Taiwan University Hospital60 enrolled

Overview

This observational study aimed to understand the effect of intervention A on sleep disorders in individuals with Alzheimer's disease receiving sunlight therapy. The primary question of the study was: Does sunlight therapy improve sleep disorders in Alzheimer's disease? Participants will complete a questionnaire, undergo sunlight therapy. They were informed that sun exposure therapy could effectively improve sleep, and behavioral interventions were discussed to develop a health education plan. Patients received monthly telephone support and encouragement from the time of admission until the next follow-up visit. Three months after admission (until the next follow-up visit), patients completed questionnaires including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), and the Quality of Life-Alzheimer's Disease (QOL-AD) questionnaire.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

Purpose

SUPPORTIVE_CARE

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Alzheimer's Disease (AD)Sleep Disorders, Circadian Rhythm

Interventions

sunlight therapyBEHAVIORAL

Participants will complete a questionnaire, undergo sunlight therapy. They were informed that sun exposure therapy could effectively improve sleep, and behavioral interventions were discussed to develop a health education plan. Patients received monthly telephone support and encouragement from the time of admission until the next follow-up visit. Three months after admission (until the next follow-up visit), patients completed questionnaires including the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), and the Quality of Life-Alzheimer's Disease (QOL-AD) questionnaire.

Eligibility

Sex: ALL

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: 1. Diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease 2. CDR: 0.5 - 1 point 3. Conscious and able to cooperate with behavioral interventions and telephone interviews 4. Complaints of sleep disturbances, including: daytime sleepiness, difficulty falling asleep, fragmented sleep, nighttime awakening, nocturnal wandering, and sunset syndrome. 5. A cohabiting family member is required as the primary caregiver, who understands and cooperates with this intervention and has signed a consent form. 6. If the patient is already taking sleeping pills, the maintenance dose will not be adjusted. Exclusion Criteria: 1. Individuals with other brain injury conditions, such as cerebral palsy, brain tumors, traumatic brain injury, or stroke. 2. Individuals with visual impairments (assessed by comparing numbers with fingers at a distance of 30 cm upon admission). 3. Institutional residents. 4. Individuals living alone. 5. Individuals unable to cooperate with behavioral interventions and telephone interviews.

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, PSQI

The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) assesses sleep quality. It has seven dimensions: sleep quality, sleep latency, sleep duration, sleep efficiency, sleep disturbance, medication use, and daytime activity impairment. A higher PSQI score indicates poorer sleep quality. The total score ranges from 0 to 21, with a minimum score of 0, indicating very good sleep quality over the past month. Lower scores indicate better sleep quality, while a total score of 5 or below is generally considered to indicate fair sleep quality.

Time frame: on enrollment days, three months after admission (until the next follow-up visit).