Phototherapy improves cognitive function in dementia: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Gerontology
• Neuroscience
• Photobiology

Background:

• Dementia significantly impacts cognitive function and quality of life in older adults.
• Current interventions for dementia have limitations, necessitating exploration of novel therapeutic approaches.
• Phototherapy presents a potential non-pharmacological intervention for managing dementia symptoms.

Approach:

• A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted, searching multiple databases for relevant randomized controlled trials.
• Included studies focused on phototherapy interventions for patients diagnosed with dementia.
• The primary outcome assessed was cognitive function using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) score.

Key Points:

• Phototherapy interventions demonstrated a significant improvement in MMSE scores among dementia patients (MD 2.68, 95% CI: 1.38-3.98).
• No significant differences were observed in behavioral and psychological symptoms of dementia (BPSDs) or sleep parameters between phototherapy and control groups.
• The meta-analysis included 12 randomized controlled trials with a total of 766 participants.

Conclusions:

• Phototherapy is an effective intervention for enhancing cognitive function in individuals with dementia.
• Further research is warranted to explore the impact of phototherapy on BPSDs and sleep disturbances in dementia patients.
• This finding supports phototherapy as a potential adjunctive treatment for cognitive decline in dementia.