Toileting at Night in Older Adults: Light to Maximize Balance, Minimize Insomnia

VA Office of Research and Development

Status: Completed

Conditions: Balance; Aging; Insomnia; Falls

Treatments: Behavioral: Dim orange light exposure; Behavioral: Very dim white light exposure; Behavioral: White light exposure; Behavioral: Dim white light exposure

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other U.S. Federal agency

Identifiers

NCT01350505

E0773-P

Details and patient eligibility

About

To examine the change in balance that occurs in older individuals when exposed to different colored lights at night.

Enrollment: 21 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 55 to 85 years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Aged 55-85
• Stable health
• Normal color vision

Exclusion criteria

• Alcohol abuse
• Depression
• Sleep disorders
• Smoking
• Use of illegal drugs

Trial design

21 participants in 1 patient group

All subjects

Experimental group

Description:

13 minutes of light at night (2 hours after bedtime)

Treatment:

Behavioral: White light exposure

Behavioral: Dim white light exposure

Behavioral: Dim orange light exposure

Behavioral: Very dim white light exposure