Exploring the Effectiveness of LED Phototherapy on Common Symptoms Among Elderly in Long-Term Care Institutions

Exploring the Effectiveness of LED Phototherapy on Common Symptoms Among Elderly in Long-Term Care Institutions and Its Translation Application

The world is facing rapid population aging, the health needs of the elderly are complex, and their physical capabilities are degraded, and increased the possibility of having one or more chronic conditions. In 1900 to 2000, there were 7,600 million people in the United States, aged 65 and above age increased to 4.1% up to 12.6%, by 2050 is expected to increase 20.3%.In Taiwan, the elderly population have 83.5% is health and sub-health, in order to allow them to perform activities of daily living independently, in particular, need to pay attention to the diverse needs of the elderly, Assist the elderly to increase self-care skills, reduce disability is a very important issue.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Low Level Light Therapy
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: phototherapy protocol

Detailed Description

From literature review of LED phototherapy can effectively improve symptoms in the elderly, such as hair loss, dermatitis, rotator tendonitis, epicondylitis of the tibia, wound healing, back pain, patellofemoral pain, spinal neuropathy, chronic pain relief, insomnia and depression.

Comprehensive Phototherapy and Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) perspective, LED phototherapy is the use of physical light energy stimulation and temperature to improve the body's microcirculation and meridian dredge, Enhance the body's energy of the health and sub-health elderly, increasing physical activity perform daily functions.

Taiwanese Elderly to take self-care by the dilemmas of the many aspects. There are 21.52% physical health problems, affecting work or daily activities are limited; there are 35.12% physical or emotional health problems affecting social activities; there are 13.01% incapable perform activities of daily living.

The aim of this study was to explore the effectiveness of LED phototherapy on physiological symptoms among elderly in long-term care institutions in Taiwan. To examine the effects of physiological symptoms, such as mental state, muscle bone system, metabolism, autonomic balance and other meridian energy tests, it is expected to improve the body energy of healthy and sub-healthy elderly to increasing physical activity perform daily functions.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 120
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Taiwan
  • Kaohsiung, Taiwan, 811
    • Chong-En Group Long-term Care Center for the Elderly

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 65 years to 95 years (Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Consciousness clear；must be able to talk

Exclusion Criteria:

• Clinical diagnosis of dementia；Seasonal mood disorder

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: N/A
• Interventional Model: Single Group Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

1

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Intervention / Treatment

Other: Phototherapy protocol; Pretest：Common symptoms in the elderly include insomnia, depression, pressure sore wounds, blood sugar, blood pressure, body temperature,fatigue,cold limbs. Intervention：LED light therapy for 6 weeks, 2-3 times a week, every 30 minutes. Post test：Common symptoms in the elderly include insomnia, depression, pressure sore wounds, blood sugar, blood pressure, body temperature,fatigue,cold limbs.

Other: phototherapy protocol; Pretest：Common symptoms in the elderly include insomnia, depression, pressure sore wounds, blood sugar, blood pressure, body temperature,fatigue,cold limbs. Intervention：LED light therapy for 6 weeks, 2-3 times a week, every 30 minutes. Post test：Common symptoms in the elderly include insomnia, depression, pressure sore wounds, blood sugar, blood pressure, body temperature,fatigue,cold limbs.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index/PSQI	Insomnia was measured by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Global PSQI >5 score，good sleep；Global PSQI ≦5 score，poor sleep。	Change before, through intervention completion (average 6 weeks).
Brief Fatigue Inventory-Taiwanese (BFI-T)	Fatigue was measured by the Brief Fatigue Inventory-Taiwanese (BFI-T), BFI-T=0 score，no fatigue；1~3 score，A little tired (not tired most of the time)；4~6 score，Ordinary tired, tolerable (about half the time to feel tired)；7~9 score，very tired (most of the time feel tired)；10 score，most tired (I feel tired all the time)。	Change before, through intervention completion (average 6 weeks).
Cold Limbs	Cold Limbs was measured by the Yes / No Questionnaire elderly subjective feeling, "Yes" in the questionnaire means cold limbs；"No" in the questionnaire means no cold limbs。	Change before, through intervention completion (average 6 weeks).
Braden-Pressure ulcer risk factor assessment scale	Pressure ulcer was measured by the Braden-Pressure ulcer risk factor assessment scale, ≧16 score，Low-risk；12-15 score，Moderate risk；≦11 score，High-risk。	Change before, through intervention completion (average 6 weeks).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Meridian Energy	Meridian energy was examined by using the Meridian Energy Analysis Device(M.E.A.D.), Parameters and normal values：Mental health status：0.78-1.09；Musculoskeletal status：0.88-1.14；Metabolism status：0.82-1.24；Autonomic nervous system status：1.0-1.5；Overall energy：28-64。	Measured 1 week before and 1, 4, 6 weeks after intervention
HRV	Autonomic nervous system activity was examined by using the Heart Rate Variability (HRV), Parameters and normal values：Low Frequency power(LF)：0.04~0.15 Hz；High Frequency power(HF)：0.15~-0.4 Hz；Standard deviation(SD)：All normal to normal intervals, the larger the SD, the greater the HRV；mean Heart Rate；LF/HF ratio。	Measured 1 week before and 1, 4, 6 weeks after intervention
Body Temperature	Cold Limbs was measured by the body temperature (BT), Ear temperature measurement normal BT 36 ~ 37.5。	Measured 1 week before and 1, 4, 6 weeks after intervention

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: National Yang Ming University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): September 11, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): July 31, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): July 31, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: December 16, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 16, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): December 18, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): March 30, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 29, 2023
• Last Verified: March 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: fatigue; elderly; sleep quality; LED phototherapy; meridian energy; cold limbs; long-term care institution
• Other Study ID Numbers: YM108088E

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No