A light exposure tracker designed to improve the circadian entrainment for Alzheimer Disease patients

项目摘要 NIH已经认识到昼夜节律和睡眠在阿尔茨海默病（AD）及相关疾病中的重要性。 痴呆症（ADRD）进展，最近发布了一份特别关注的通知，题为“睡眠障碍和 阿尔茨海默病和其他老年痴呆症的昼夜节律钟中断。NIH还指出， 改善睡眠质量是人们可以采取的为数不多的干预措施之一， AD/ADRD在以后的生活中。光疗法作为一种非药物治疗， 调节睡眠和改善AD/ADRD老年人的认知。也许这并不奇怪， 从进化史上看，这方面的研究可以简单地概括为：白天明亮，夜晚黑暗， 对人类健康，特别是AD/ADRD健康。研究表明白天的光线 暴露可以巩固和提高夜间睡眠效率，同时也增加白天的觉醒， 减少AD/ADRD患者的夜间躁动。但存在着重大的知识差距，包括关于以下方面的信息： 人类在个体和群体水平上通常经历的光暴露以及这些光暴露如何变化 从最佳的曝光模式。同样缺少的是收集这些数据的工具和个人工具， 研究人员和护理人员来监测和控制光照。为了解决这些问题，研究人员 已经开发出一种新颖的，具有成本效益的，电池供电的光谱仪，可以测量昼夜光 它具有独特的特性，可以谨慎地安装在墙上或用作可穿戴设备。该联网设备提供 持续的远程数据收集和存储，使相关方能够轻松监控昼夜节律照明 并根据需要调整照明。 该项目将建立在这些面向研究人员的工具和技术的基础上，将一种新的消费者商业化- 这款针对轻度认知障碍（MCI）患者的曝光跟踪系统的定向版本 或早期阿尔茨海默氏症患者仍然住在家里。这些系统收集的曝光数据将 用于提供生物钟建议和/或自动化，以改善昼夜节律夹带和整体 AD/ADRD患者的健康状况。这里提出的工作将集中在一个新的曝光的发展 跟踪器、配套应用程序和仪表板，它们收集了与研究人员相同的详细照明数据- 但以AD/ADRD患者可理解和有帮助的方式呈现这些数据 和他们的照顾者。与相关互联产品的集成，如睡眠跟踪器和智能灯， 也被调查。建议进行一项包括在家生活的MCI和AD/ADRD患者的临床试验。 该试验将描述这些队列经历的光暴露并测试各种干预措施 旨在使他们的光暴露模式更符合已知的支持昼夜健康的模式。

Project Summary The NIH has recognized the importance of circadian rhythms and sleep in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias (ADRD) progression, recently releasing a Notice of Special Interest titled “Sleep Disorders and Circadian Clock Disruption in Alzheimer’s Disease and other Dementias of Aging.” The NIH has also noted that improving sleep quality is among the few interventions that people can take to reduce the risk of developing AD/ADRD later in life. Light therapy has shown great promise as a non-pharmacological treatment in helping to regulate sleep and in improving cognition in older adults with AD/ADRD. Perhaps not surprisingly given our evolutionary history, studies in this area can be simply summarized as: bright days and dark nights are beneficial for human health generally and AD/ADRD health specifically. Studies have demonstrated that daytime light exposure can consolidate and increase nighttime sleep efficiency, while also increasing daytime wakefulness and reducing evening agitation in AD/ADRD patients. But critical knowledge gaps exist, including information on the light exposure humans typically experience—at both individual and population levels—and how these vary from optimal light exposure patterns. Also missing are tools to collect these data and tools for individuals, researchers, and caregivers to monitor and control light exposure. In order to address these gaps, researchers have developed a novel, cost-effective, battery-powered light spectrometer which can measure circadian light characteristics and be discreetly mounted to walls or used as a wearable. This networked device provides continuous, remote data collection and storage, allowing interested parties to easily monitor circadian lighting conditions and adjust their lighting as needed. This project would build on these researcher-oriented tools and technologies to commercialize a new consumer- oriented version of this light exposure tracking system targeting patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) or early stage Alzheimer’s disease still living at home. Light exposure data collected by these systems would be used to provide actional recommendations and/or automations to improve circadian entrainment and overall health of AD/ADRD patients. The work proposed here will focus on the development of a new light exposure tracker, companion apps, and dashboards that gather much of the same detailed lighting data as the researcher- oriented device, but present these data in ways that are understandable and helpful for people with AD/ADRD and their caregivers. Integrations with related connected products, such as sleep trackers and smart lamps, will also be investigated. A clinical trial is proposed that includes both MCI and AD/ADRD patients living at home. The trial will characterize the light exposure that these cohorts experience and test a variety of interventions intended to bring their light exposure patterns more in line with patterns known to support circadian health.