Effect of bright-light therapy on depression and anxiety of a patient with Alzheimer’s disease combined with sleep disorder: A case report

Abstract

BACKGROUND Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a common type of dementia due to neuronal impairment. In addition, psychobehavioral symptoms including severe sleep disorders, depression and anxiety can occur in most patients with AD. CASE SUMMARY We report a case of a 68-year-old woman with a 2-year history of AD. She initially presented with memory loss, progressively more severe, leading to a depressive and anxious status. The clinical symptoms also included severe sleep disturbances. Considering the age and health state of the patient, a non-pharmacological treatment of bright light therapy was used to improve her sleep quality. The treatment was provided for 30 minutes twice a day, during 8:30 am to 9:00 am and 16:30 pm to 17:00 pm. After 4 weeks of therapy, the sleep quality notably improved, with a marked decrease in daytime sleep, increase in nighttime sleep, and disappearance of nocturnal activity. The depression and anxiety were also suppressed significantly. CONCLUSION This case report suggested that bright light therapy can have a positive effect on sleep quality in elderly patients with AD and can be used as an effective and safe non-pharmacological treatment.