Inspired by the "sundowning" phenomenon common in people with Alzheimer's disease, Dr. LuAnn Nowak Etcher sought to find out how a therapy using light would affect these seniors.

In a study recently published in the Western Journal of Nursing Research, the assistant professor of nursing at Wayne State University reported that individuals who were treated with blue-green light seemed to have improved functioning.

According to the Alzheimer's Association, sundowning is when a senior with Alzheimer's experiences periods of increased confusion, anxiety, agitation and disorientation beginning at dusk and lasting through the night. Studies indicate that as many as 20 percent of individuals with the disease will experience this phenomenon at some point, which can be an added challenge for caregivers.

Light is a common intervention for circadian disorders, and Etcher sought out to address disagreement among researchers on ways it can be used to regulate rest-activity patterns in those with Alzheimer's.

"Some of the rest-activity pattern disruptions that we see associated with Alzheimer's dementia may not necessarily be circadian based," Etcher said. "They may be due to unmet needs, pain or other phenomena, and therefore would not respond to an intervention aimed at regulation of the circadian system."

Although Etcher calls her work "preliminary," it can now be replicated with larger samples and different demographics.