Nighttime lighting to lower falls in people with Alzheimer's and related dementias
Official title: A Pragmatic Crossover Trial to Test the Effectiveness of a Novel Lighting System to Reduce Nighttime Falls in Persons with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11144500 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project uses a new nighttime lighting system to help people with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias get up at night with fewer falls.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2022 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,197,027 |
| NIH project number | 5R01AG075010-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11144500 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are ambulatory adults aged 65 or older with Alzheimer's disease or related dementias who live in assisted-living settings and sometimes get up at night.
✕Less likely to help
People who are non-ambulatory, who do not wake at night, who live entirely at home with no assisted-living component, or who have very poor vision may not receive benefit.
What this research studies
You would remain in your assisted-living community while the study compares nights with a passive, balance-promoting lighting system versus usual lighting. Each participant experiences both lighting conditions in a randomized crossover design so researchers can compare fall rates within the same person. The lights are designed to turn on in a way that supports posture and walking without requiring you to change your behavior. The team builds on an earlier small trial that showed a 34% drop in falls and will track falls, injuries, and related healthcare use.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could cut nighttime falls and reduce related injuries and hospital stays for people with dementia.
How similar studies have gone: A prior NIH R21 randomized crossover trial by the same team reported a 34% reduction in falls, indicating promising preliminary results.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Zimmerman, Sheryl — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Zimmerman, Sheryl
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.