ILLUMINATION IN HUMAN AGING--SLEEP AND MOOD EFFECTS

大多数美国老年人的经验增加的客观干扰， 启动和维持睡眠。 不合理的投诉是最多的 老年人中机构收容和早逝的重要风险因素 老人 同样，抑郁症状是结肠和高度致残， 美国老年人的自杀率正在上升。正在进行的 调查显示，日光照射不足与 40-64岁成年人中失眠和抑郁症状。 初步研究和理论论证表明，失眠和 美国老年人的抑郁症部分是由光线不足引起的 exposure.本研究将调查低照度的患病率 圣地亚哥60-79岁人群的代表性样本中的暴露量 年，并将评估照明的流行病学关联， 睡眠和抑郁症状。在实验室临床试验中，135 年龄在60-79岁的志愿者将在这里度过5晚4天， 控制照明条件。分层随机化，1/3的 受试者将被分配到两个实验治疗中的每一个， 每天4小时的照明。最后1/3的受试者将 接收控制50 lux照明和安慰剂暗红光治疗。每例受试者将 在8小时睡眠期间监测多导睡眠图，以确定 明亮的光线治疗对客观睡眠障碍的好处。 将采集尿液，以确定治疗对 褪黑激素分泌的昼夜节律。主观睡眠日志和情绪 自我评定将评估治疗的主观益处。通过 这个实验将展示明亮光线的偶然好处， 对数百万美国老年人有潜在高影响的治疗。

Most aging Americans experience increased objective disturbances of initiating and maintaining sleep. Insomnia complaints are among the most important risk factors for institutionalization and early death among the elderly. likewise, depressive symptoms are colon and highly disabling, and the rate of suicide is increasing among elderly Americans. An ongoing survey shows that inadequate daylight exposures are associated with insomnia and depressive symptoms among adults 40-64 year of age. Preliminary studies and theoretical arguments indicate that insomnia and depression in aging Americans are partly caused by inadequate light exposure. This study will survey the prevalence of low illumination exposure in a representative sample of the San Diego population ages 60-79 years and will assess the epidemiologic associations of illumination with sleep and depressive symptoms. In a laboratory clinical trial, 135 volunteer subjects ages 60-79 will spend 5 nights and 4 days under controlled lighting conditions. With stratified randomization, 1/3 of subjects will be assigned to each of two experimental treatments using 3000 lux bright light for 4 hours each day. The final 1/3 of subjects will receive control 50 lux lighting and placebo dim red light treatment. Each subject will be monitored polysomnographically during the 8-hour sleep periods to determine the benefits of bright light treatment on objective sleep disturbances. Urine collections will be obtained to determine treatment effects on the circadian rhythm of melatonin excretion. Subjective sleep logs and mood self-ratings will assess subjective benefits of the treatments. By demonstrating casual benefits of bright light, this experiment will develop treatments with potentially high impact for millions of elderly Americans.