Using Smart Lights to Help Dementia Patients
Author Information
Author(s): Diane Berish, Julian Wang, Shevvaa Beiglary, Ying-Ling Jao, Yo-Jen Liao
Primary Institution: The Pennsylvania State University
Hypothesis
Can Smart Ambient Bright Light (SABL) improve lighting conditions for nursing home residents with dementia?
Conclusion
The study found that while SABL met daytime lighting targets, nighttime lighting fidelity needs improvement.
Supporting Evidence
- Up to 90% of persons with dementia experience neurobehavioral symptoms and poor sleep.
- SABL delivers bright light during the day and dim light at night.
- Manual measurements indicated that SABL generally met daytime lighting targets.
- Individual sensors showed that participants' average daytime light exposure met the target for lux.
- Participants received higher daytime CS and lux during the intervention than the control period.
Takeaway
Smart lights can help people with dementia by providing bright light during the day and dim light at night, but they need to work better at night.
Methodology
The study used manual measurements and individual light sensors to assess lighting exposure.
Limitations
The fidelity of SABL for nighttime lighting, especially lux, could be improved.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p<0.0001
Confidence Interval
CI=369.9-443.8
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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