Promoting Cognitive Resilience and Reducing Frailty in Older Veterans With Bright Light Therapy

Description

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.

Conditions

Veteran Aged 65 and Older

Talk to us

Study Overview

On this page

Study Details

Study overview

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.

Promoting Cognitive Resilience and Reducing Frailty in Older Veterans With Bright Light Therapy

Promoting Cognitive Resilience and Reducing Frailty in Older Veterans With Bright Light Therapy

Condition
Veteran Aged 65 and Older
Intervention / Treatment

-

Contacts and Locations

Kansas City

Kansas City VA Medical Center, Kansas City, MO, Kansas City, Missouri, United States, 64128-2226

Kansas City

Kansas City VA Medical Center, Kansas City, MO, Kansas City, Missouri, United States, 64128

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

For general information about clinical research, read Learn About Studies.

Eligibility 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
  • * 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

Ages Eligible for Study

65 Years to 85 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study

ALL

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Collaborators and Investigators

VA Office of Research and Development,

Bruce R. Troen, MD, PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR, Kansas City VA Medical Center, Kansas City, MO

Study Record Dates

2024-12-31