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Can Bright Light Fight Dementia?
DOES PHOTOTHERAPY HELP OLDER INDIVIDUALS with dementia? A new meta-analysis suggests light therapy can improve cognitive function in older adults with dementia.
Dementia is the loss of cognitive functioning. The disease involves the compromise of remembering, thinking, and reasoning to the extent that it interferes with the activities of daily living. Those with dementia may have a mild or more severe form. The latter can lead to dependence on others for basic living activities, including feeding.
Dementia is common, affecting millions of individuals. It is more common with age (approximately one-third of those age 85 or older may have some dementia form). Fortunately, many people live beyond 90 without demonstrating any disease symptoms.
There are several dementia forms, including Alzheimer’s disease, which is the most common. Unfortunately, there is no cure. I recently learned I stumbled across a study showing the ability of phototherapy to improve cognitive functioning.
What is ultraviolet light?
What is ultraviolet light?
Ultraviolet (UV) light is electromagnetic radiation not visible to the human eye. It has a shorter wavelength than visible light and is between X-rays and visible light on the electromagnetic spectrum. UV light is divided…
