Bright light therapy as an adjunctive treatment with risperidone in patients with delirium: a randomized, open, parallel group study
General Hospital Psychiatry, 06/21/2012
Clinical Article
Yang J et al. – The results indicate that risperidone with light therapy may be a helpful adjuvant treatment for patients with delirium. Adequately powered studies with a head–to–head comparison design are mandatory to confirm the findings.
Methods- Thirty–six patients were referred to the consulting psychiatry division of the hospital for a disturbance in consciousness.
- The patients were randomized to risperidone (n=16) or risperidone with light therapy (n=20).
- They were evaluated on Day 0 (baseline) and on Days 1 to 5 with the Delirium Rating Scale (DRS) and the Memorial Delirium Assessment Scale (MDAS).
- Sleep parameters were measured using a sleep log.
- Mean DRS and MDAS scores decreased significantly over time in both treatment groups.
- Risperidone with light therapy group showed a significantly greater decrease in the DRS score than the risperidone–only group (F=2.87, P=.025), but the MDAS score was not significantly different between the two groups.
- There was a significant improvement in total sleep time (F=2.07, P=.037) and sleep efficiency (F=2.79, P=.029) in the risperidone with light therapy group than in the risperidone–only group.
