Aging, Balance, Falls, Insomnia
Conditions
Keywords
Postural Balance, Sleep Initiation and Maintenance Disorders
Brief summary
To examine the change in balance that occurs in older individuals when exposed to different colored lights at night.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALWhite light exposure
\ 200 lux of broad spectrum white light
BEHAVIORALDim white light exposure
\ 28 lux of broad spectrum white light
BEHAVIORALVery dim white light exposure
\<0.5 lux of broad spectrum white light
BEHAVIORALDim orange light exposure
\ 28 lux of orange light
Sponsors
VA Office of Research and Development
Study design
Intervention model
CROSSOVER
Primary purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
DOUBLE (Subject, Investigator)
Intervention model description
The order of the interventions were randomized to the four visits.
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
55 Years to 85 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
* Aged 55-85 * Stable health * Normal color vision
Exclusion criteria
* Alcohol abuse * Depression * Sleep disorders * Smoking * Use of illegal drugs
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Change in Balance | 13 minutes | Balance was assessed during a 13-minute nocturnal light exposure (4 different conditions) and differences between the conditions were assessed. To determine goodness of balance while walking, the variability in stride length (i.e., variance in stride-to-stride length) was calculated in each of the conditions. Increased variability in stride length is associated with increased risk of falling. |
Countries
United States
Participant flow
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| Light Exposure 13 minutes of experimental light exposure during the night | 21 |
| Total | 21 |
Withdrawals & dropouts
| Period | Reason | FG000 |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Study | Lost to Follow-up | 4 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Light Exposure |
|---|---|
| Age, Continuous | 64.7 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 8 |
| Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test | 1.5 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.6 |
| Balance Self-Efficacy Scale | 97.3 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 3 |
| Baseline sleep efficiency | 91.9 % of time in bed person is asleep STANDARD_DEVIATION 5.6 |
| Baseline total sleep time | 7.32 hours STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.73 |
| Body Mass Index | 26.9 kg/m² STANDARD_DEVIATION 6.1 |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Hispanic or Latino | 3 Participants |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Not Hispanic or Latino | 18 Participants |
| Ethnicity (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 0 Participants |
| Geriatric Depression Scale | 0.6 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.9 |
| Mini Mental State Examination | 29.9 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 0.3 |
| Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index | 2.3 units on a scale STANDARD_DEVIATION 1.4 |
| Race (NIH/OMB) American Indian or Alaska Native | 1 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Asian | 1 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Black or African American | 1 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) More than one race | 2 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 0 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) Unknown or Not Reported | 1 Participants |
| Race (NIH/OMB) White | 15 Participants |
| Region of Enrollment United States | 21 participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Female | 11 Participants |
| Sex: Female, Male Male | 10 Participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk |
|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | 0 / 21 |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 21 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 21 |
Outcome results
Primary
Change in Balance
Balance was assessed during a 13-minute nocturnal light exposure (4 different conditions) and differences between the conditions were assessed. To determine goodness of balance while walking, the variability in stride length (i.e., variance in stride-to-stride length) was calculated in each of the conditions. Increased variability in stride length is associated with increased risk of falling.
Time frame: 13 minutes
Population: Healthy older adults. Note 4 participants declined to participate in the last condition (white room light).
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Light Exposure | Change in Balance | Very Dim White - Step Length | 6.66 %CV | Standard Deviation 3.08 |
| Light Exposure | Change in Balance | Dim White - Step Length | 5.34 %CV | Standard Deviation 2 |
| Light Exposure | Change in Balance | Dim Orange - Step Length | 5.62 %CV | Standard Deviation 2.52 |
| Light Exposure | Change in Balance | Room White - Step Length | 5.78 %CV | Standard Deviation 2.87 |