Promoting Cognitive Resilience and Reducing Frailty in Older Veterans With Bright Light Therapy
Overview
- Phase
- Not Applicable
- Intervention
- Bright Light Therapy (AYO Glasses)
- Conditions
- Veteran Aged 65 and Older
- Sponsor
- VA Office of Research and Development
- Enrollment
- 43
- Locations
- 3
- Primary Endpoint
- Sleep quality
- Status
- Active, not recruiting
- Last Updated
- 3 months ago
Overview
Brief Summary
Frailty is a multifactorial syndrome characterized by vulnerability to stressors that is intricately linked to cognitive impairment and mortality risk. Bright light therapy (BLT) reduces circadian disturbances by resynchronizing the hypothalamic biological clock via specific wavelengths of light. Human trials have demonstrated that BLT improves sleep quality and cognitive function in older adults. However, BLT has not been examined for use in older Veteran populations, particularly the impact on frailty. This randomized trial will assess the feasibility of employing BLT to study impacts on frailty, cognition, and sleep in older Veterans. Findings from this pilot will establish the power and effect size necessary for larger trials to support the use of BLT as readily available home-based treatment to improve healthspan of Veterans.
Detailed Description
Promoting cognition and reducing frailty in older Veterans with bright light therapy Frailty is a multifactorial syndrome characterized by vulnerability to stressors that increases disability and mortality risk. Thirty percent of Veterans 65 years or older are frail, which is three-times higher than aged matched non-Veterans. Frailty is intricately linked with cognitive impairment and Veterans are particularly susceptible with 14 percent exhibiting cognitive decline, some with early onset as young as 45 years of age. Importantly, 70% of frail and cognitively impaired older adults exhibit sleep disturbances, which makes identifying and improving sleep quality an attractive therapeutic strategy to enhance healthspan. Furthermore, this is of special interest as 55% of older Veterans experience sleep disturbances. The goal of this study is to examine the feasibility of utilizing bright light therapy (BLT) as a strategy to improve sleep via reduction of circadian rhythm disturbances. The long-term goal is to assess the potential for improving cognition and reducing frailty in older Veterans. BLT works by resynchronizing the hypothalamic biological clock via brief exposure to specific wavelengths of light following awakening, which restores melatonin and circadian rhythms. However, BLT has not been examined for reducing frailty in older Veteran populations. This project will therefore lay the foundation for larger trials the evaluate BLT in the treatment and prevention of cognitive disorders and to promote healthy aging.
Investigators
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria
- •Participants studied in this project will include 30 men and 5 women of any race who are community dwellers
- •The investigators seek to recruit relatively healthy individuals that may or may not exhibit early-stage co-morbidities
Exclusion Criteria
- •The investigators will exclude individuals without sleep disturbances (PSQI \>5)
- •Are morbidly obese (BMI \> 40)
- •Exhibit severe or advanced co-morbidities, or have cognitive impairment
Arms & Interventions
BLT control
Bright light glasses that emit a non-therapeutic blue light.
Intervention: Bright Light Therapy (AYO Glasses)
BLT intervention
Bright light glasses that emit a more intense therapeutic blue light.
Intervention: Bright Light Therapy (AYO Glasses)
Outcomes
Primary Outcomes
Sleep quality
Time Frame: Change from baseline to endpoint at 12 weeks
Sleep quality as assessed by Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The PSQI contains 19 self-rated questions that combined to form 7 component scores, each with a range of 0 to 3 points. These in turn are added to yield a global score with a range of 0 to 21 points. Higher scores indicate worse sleep quality.
Secondary Outcomes
- Short Physical Performance Battery(Change from baseline to endpoint at 12 weeks)
- Frailty assessment(Change from baseline to endpoint at 12 weeks)
- Gait speed(Change from baseline to endpoint at 12 weeks)
- Muscle strength(Change from baseline to endpoint at 12 weeks)
- Body Composition (Lean and fat mass)(Change from baseline to endpoint at 12 weeks)
- Interleukin-6(Change from baseline at 12 weeks)
- Sleep quantity(Change from baseline at 12 weeks)
- Step counts(Change from baseline to endpoint at 12 weeks)
- Cognitive screen - SLUMS(Change from baseline to endpoint at 12 weeks)
- Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)(Change from baseline to endpoint at 12 weeks)
- Sleepiness(Change from baseline at 12 weeks)
- Fatigue(Change from baseline at 12 weeks)
- Sleep disorders(Change from baseline at 12 weeks)
- Amyloid beta 42/40 ratio(Change from baseline at 12 weeks)
- Cognitive screen - Cognivue(Change from baseline at 12 weeks)
- Sleep stages(Change from baseline to endpoint at 12 weeks)
- Phosphorylated tau (P-tau)(Change from baseline at 12 weeks)
- Interleukin-10(Change from baseline at 12 weeks)
- Insomnia(Change from baseline at 12 weeks)
- Sleep chronotype(Change from baseline at 12 weeks)
- Quality of life assessment(Change from baseline to endpoint at 12 weeks)
- Anxiety and depression(Change from baseline at 12 weeks)
- C-Reactive Protein(Change from baseline to endpoint at 12 weeks)