scholarly journals Bright Light Therapy in Parkinson's Disease: An Overview of the Background and Evidence

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonja Rutten ◽  
Chris Vriend ◽  
Odile A. van den Heuvel ◽  
Jan H. Smit ◽  
Henk W. Berendse ◽  
...  

Sleep disorders are common in Parkinson's disease (PD) and seem to be strongly associated with depression. It has been suggested that sleep disorders as well as depression are caused by a disturbed circadian rhythm. Indeed, PD patients are prone to misalignment of their circadian rhythm due to various factors, and many patients with PD display a phase advance of their circadian rhythm. Current treatment options for sleep disorders and depression in patients with PD are limited and can have serious side effects; alternative treatments are therefore badly needed. Bright light therapy (BLT) restores circadian rhythmicity effectively in mood- and sleep-disturbed patients without PD. The few studies that focused on the efficacy of BLT in patients with PD demonstrated a positive effect of BLT not only on sleep and mood but also on motor function. More research on the neurobiology and efficacy of BLT in PD is warranted.

2019 ◽  
Vol 119 (4) ◽  
pp. 607-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-Marc Raymackers ◽  
Mariana Andrade ◽  
Eugenie Baey ◽  
Margaux Vanneste ◽  
Frédéric Evrard

2021 ◽  
Vol Publish Ahead of Print ◽  
Author(s):  
Yun Shen ◽  
Si-Yi Gong ◽  
Yu-Lu Liu ◽  
Jie Li ◽  
Kang-Ping Xiong ◽  
...  

2007 ◽  
Vol 22 (10) ◽  
pp. 1495-1498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sebastian Paus ◽  
Tanja Schmitz-Hübsch ◽  
Ullrich Wüllner ◽  
Antje Vogel ◽  
Thomas Klockgether ◽  
...  

Author(s):  
Hayrettin Ozan Gulcan

: Similar to other neurodegenerative diseases, Parkinson’s disease (PD) has been extensively investigated with respect to its neuropathological background and possible treatment options. Since the symptomatic outcomes are generally related to dopamine deficiency, the current treatment strategies towards PD mainly employ dopaminergic agonists as well as the compounds acting on dopamine metabolism. These drugs do not provide disease modifying properties; therefore alternative drug discovery studies focus on targets involved in the progressive neurodegenerative character of PD. This study has aimed to present the pathophysiology of PD concomitant to the representation of drugs and promising molecules displaying activity against the validated and non-validated targets of PD.


2020 ◽  
Vol 77 (1) ◽  
pp. 113-125 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ilaria Roccaro ◽  
Daniela Smirni

Background: A system of photosensitive retinal ganglion cells provides ‘non-visual’ information on the circadian sequences of light to the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN), which, as the ‘master clock’, synchronizes the chronobiological mechanisms of all the biological clocks. Damage to SCN structure alters circadian behavioral and hormonal rhythms and interferes with a regular sleep-wake pattern. Several studies have shown that, in aging and in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), circadian rhythms change their synchronization with the environment and behavior loses sync with light. Objective: The current overview aims to examine research studies showing the effect of bright light therapy (BLT) on sleep disorders and sleep-wake patterns in AD. Methods: A literature search was conducted, taking into consideration the relevant studies over the last 20 years. Fifteen studies have been thorough: seven followed an environmental-architectural approach and eight followed a treatment devices approach. Results: Studies agree in considering BLT as a promising non-pharmacological intervention to compensate for circadian rhythm alterations and they support the need for standardized protocols that allow a comparison between multicenter studies. Conclusion: Interestingly, in an attempt to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, health authorities have forced the population to stay home. Therefore, AD people are not currently able to enjoy exposure to sunlight. It is predictable that they may experience an exacerbation of circadian disturbances and that the BLT can be an effective response to prevent such exacerbation.


2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd J. Swick

Parkinson's disease (PD) has traditionally been characterized by its cardinal motor symptoms of bradykinesia, rigidity, resting tremor, and postural instability. However, PD is increasingly being recognized as a multidimensional disease associated with myriad nonmotor symptoms including autonomic dysfunction, mood disorders, cognitive impairment, pain, gastrointestinal disturbance, impaired olfaction, psychosis, and sleep disorders. Sleep disturbances, which include sleep fragmentation, daytime somnolence, sleep-disordered breathing, restless legs syndrome (RLS), nightmares, and rapid eye movement (REM) sleep behavior disorder (RBD), are estimated to occur in 60% to 98% of patients with PD. For years nonmotor symptoms received little attention from clinicians and researchers, but now these symptoms are known to be significant predictors of morbidity in determining quality of life, costs of disease, and rates of institutionalization. A discussion of the clinical aspects, pathophysiology, evaluation techniques, and treatment options for the sleep disorders that are encountered with PD is presented.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Haleh Hashemighouchani ◽  
Julie Cupka ◽  
Jessica Lipori ◽  
Matthew M Ruppert ◽  
Elizabeth Ingersent ◽  
...  

ABSTRACTPurposeTo explore existing literature on the association between environmental risk factors with delirium and to investigate the effectiveness of environmental modifications on prevention or management of delirium.Materials and MethodsThis is a scoping review of peer-reviewed studies in Pubmed and the reference lists of reviewed articles. Observational studies reporting the effect of noise, light, and circadian rhythm on delirium and interventional studies assessing delirium in modified environments were reviewed.ResultsThirty eight studies were included, of which, 21 evaluated impact of environment on delirium, and 16 studied the interventions. Interventions targeted reducing noise exposure, improving light exposure to follow circadian rhythm, and promoting sleep. Mixed findings of the reviewed studies yielded to inconclusive results; however quiet-time protocols, earplugs, and bright light therapy might benefit prevention, or management of delirium.ResultsThirty seven studies were included, 21 of which evaluated the impact of environment on delirium and 16 studied possible solutions to mitigate those impacts. Mixed findings of the reviewed studies yielded inconclusive results; a clearly delineated association between high noise levels, abnormal amounts of light exposure, and sleep disruption with delirium could not be established. Interventions targeted reducing noise exposure, improving day-time and mitigating night-time light exposure to follow circadian rhythm, and promoting sleep. The overall evidence supporting effectiveness of environmental interventions was also of a low confidence; however, quiet-time protocols, earplugs, and bright light therapy showed a benefit for prevention or management of delirium.ConclusionEnvironmental modifications are non-invasive, risk-free, and low-cost strategies that may be beneficial in preventing and managing delirium, especially when used as part of a multi-component plan. However, given the limited evidence-based conclusions, further high-quality and larger studies focusing on environmental modifications and delirium outcomes are strongly recommended.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document