Tailored Light Intervention for Sleep and Cognition in World Trade Center (WTC) Cohort

Details

• Journal Article:
  Archives of Environmental & Occupational Health
• Personal Author:
  Alsalman, Ola A. ; Li, Weixin ; de la Hoz, Rafael E. ; Figueiro, Mariana G.
• Description:
  World Trade Center rescue and recovery workers and volunteers (WTC RRWV) are vulnerable to circadian rhythm disruption due to stress and environmental exposures during the 9/11 operation, with high rates of cognitive impairment and poor sleep quality. This exploratory pilot study assessed the feasibility and preliminary effect of a 12-week light-based intervention targeting sleep and cognition. Twenty-three WTC RRWV aged ≥50 years with mild cognitive impairment and sleep disturbances completed the intervention. Sleep, cognition, and circadian-effective light exposures were measured pre-and post-intervention using actigraphy, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, cognitive tasks (go/no-go, digit span, Stroop), and a Daysimeter. Results showed significant improvements in sleep quality and cognitive performance. Greater circadian-effective light exposure was positively associated with improved cognitive accuracy. These preliminary observations suggest that light-based interventions may enhance sleep and cognitive function in at-risk populations.
• Subjects:
  Cognition Occupational Health Safety September 11 Terrorist Attacks Sleep
• Keywords:
  Author Keywords: Cognition; Sleep; Tailored Light Intervention; World Trade Center World Trade Center; WTC; Sleep; Lighting; Cognitive Function; Intervention Effectiveness; Stress; Rescue Workers; Disaster Recovery; Circadian Rhythms; Cohort Studies;
• Source:
  Arch Environ Occup Health 2025 Oct; 80(9):237-248
• ISSN:
  1933-8244
• Document Type:
  Text
• Funding:
  Contract
• Genre:
  Journal Article
• Place as Subject:
  New York ; New York City Region [OSHA]
• CIO:
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
• Topic:
  Workplace Safety & Health
• Location:
  North America
• Pages in Document:
  13 pdf pages
• Volume:
  80
• Issue:
  9
• NIOSHTIC Number:
  nn:20071530
• Contact Point Address:
  Ola A. Alsalman, Light and Health Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, 1425 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10029 USA
• Email:
  ola.alsalman@mountsinai.org
• Federal Fiscal Year:
  2026
• Performing Organization:
  Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• Peer Reviewed:
  True
• Start Date:
  20220929
• End Date:
  20270228
• Collection(s):
  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:6270a81ddfc7747d299611e965286e1856ff47913841c3d7debc7ff8d2804ca7588fa54a4b6e022a67aa3c66e945bfc2210b4523af4f8dec9e1146720e57329d
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/259126/cdc_259126_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1.83 MB ]