Phototherapy sessions, ie exposure to artificial sunlight, would improve the cognitive function of people suffering from dementia.
- Phototherapy improves cognitive function in people with dementia.
- It has the advantage of being inexpensive, non-invasive and of having few side effects.
- But further studies are needed to clarify the most effective methods of administration.
What if light could bring relief to people with dementia? This is the theory of a Chinese research team. Three scientists have collected the results of studies devoted to the effects of phototherapy on dementia. They find that this light therapy shows promising results: it improves cognitive function, with a low risk of side effects. Their results are published in the specialized journal Brain and Behavior.
Dementia: why is phototherapy of interest to researchers?
“This study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of a phototherapy-based intervention on cognitive function in older adult patients with dementia.”, recall the authors in the preamble. This pathology is characterized by progressive cognitive, but also motor and behavioral disorders. These different symptoms make people addicted. “With the aging of the world’s population, dementia has become a significant public health problem and there is a desperate need to find an effective and inexpensive treatment.” they explain. However, current treatments have several limitations: limited effectiveness, side effects or even medical contraindications. According to them, one of the advantages of phototherapy lies precisely in its safety. It is also a non-invasive and inexpensive technique with a limited risk of side effects.
Dementia: phototherapy, a not so innovative technique!
As recalled by French Society of Dermatologyphototherapy is a technique that has been used for a long time, but in a natural way: “The benefits of the sun in small doses on certain skin diseases have been observed for a long time, without anyone really knowing why.“Today, the sun’s rays are artificially reproduced and used in particular in the treatment of psoriasis, vitiligo and even atopic dermatitis.
Phototherapy: it improves the cognitive function of people with dementia
In this new work, the authors carried out a meta-analysis of 12 studies devoted to the effects of phototherapy, which brought together a total of 766 patients. They used an indicator called Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) to assess participants’ cognitive function, but they also looked at the psychological effects of dementia and sleep. “Phototherapy interventions significantly improved MMSE scores.” they notice. On the other hand, these artificial light sessions had no effect on depression linked to dementia or on sleep disorders. Only four patients reported mild side effects.
“Our systematic review and meta-analysis showed that phototherapy significantly improved cognitive function in patients with dementia“, they conclude. On the other hand, they believe that additional research is necessary to better determine what are the “most effective clinical conditions for implementation“: either the type of device, its power, the duration of the sessions or their frequency.
