Since last summer, my husband with Alzheimer’s has been complaining about lights being too bright. Any thoughts?

Sensory Overload explained by one who had it.
Many years ago, I had extensive brain surgery due to a tumor the size of an egg. Wound up with a plate in my skull, etc. Quite dramatic surgery that required a team of specialists.

For the first few months afterward, I had Sensory Overload. It was due to the nerves being severed, and also my brain being cut into and a small part of my frontal lobe having to be removed.

Here's what it was like: Everything was way too bright. Had to wear sunglasses all the time, even in the house. Sounds were too loud. The slightest sound was magnified immensely. Colors were bright and threatening to look at. (Normally I love bright colors) Bright colors were scary - almost like they were looming at me. Smells made me physically ill. I couldn't walk through a store without getting sick from the smells, and being afraid of the bright colored items falling on me from the shelves. Walking down an aisle felt like I was walking a mile, it was so tiring and scary - with all these things surrounding me. I wasn't able to talk properly for awhile, and had to relearn many words. But, could walk okay.

I realized this was temporary (for me) and that I had to work through this and eventually heal my traumatized brain. Which I did. It took longer for the staple removal to heal than it did to calm down my brain.

So, I think - this is similar to what other people may be experiencing due to brain trauma. It would be much scarier for someone with dementia who doesn't really understand what's going on.

It's kind of like scenes from Alice in Wonderland, and Twilight Zone all mixed up together. Loud, bright and scary and looming over your head with no protection.

My mother, age 80, who is at about stage six of her dementia, has a problem with both noise and light.

She stuffs tissues into her ears, pulls down the shades all day, no light on whatsoever in her room. She even covers her eyes when she lays down, if I am visiting.

I am bothered by loud noises and the television volume NOW, and I am only 58. I imagine that when I get older, sensory will be even more of an issue. 🤪

Cataract lenses can cause reflexions. I have known 3 people that had issues with lights after having this surgery. All of their doctors dismissed them. It could be what he is experiencing. My dad had to wear a hat everywhere because overhead lighting really messed with his eye (cataract lenses) reflecting lights.

It is probably some input overload as well.

Hopefully, the neurology appointment will help you understand what it is.

It's called Sensory Overload. It's when physical, social and psychological stimulations become uncomfortable. It's due to the brain taking longer to process those stimuli. Obviously, your husband has a brain disease that interferes with the processing of external stimulations. It seems more obvious with loud sounds and intense light, but also with social and psychological stressful situations. It's part of his dementia.

Alzheimer's disease is known to cause alterations in the ways that the eyes process the input they receive. The actual light waves can be distorted, and the eyes may see shadows that are not present. For your spouse, it sounds as if the messages his thinking brain gets from the ocular processing unit are of lights that are very very bright..and sounds that are very very loud.
how does he do with music? it is handled in a different part of the brain and sometimes is not affected in the same way by dementia.
Sorry that his brain is showing this decline.

I agree, sensory overload. I find my tablet screen is too light so I lower it. Maybe Dad needs a blue filter on his computer. Not sure if they have that option on a Smart TV.

You might want to try a pair of the “sunglasses” available with lenses that automatically adjust to various amounts of light.

There is a condition called “recruitment” in hearing that causes sounds at normal volume levels to be perceived as louder than is actually being heard.

The brain can misinterpret the inputs from any of the senses, and probably even more when dementias are present.

Is he wearing glasses with blue light protection? If not, he should be.

my mother and I both have autoimmune issues and sometimes that translates to inflammed eyes. Which means that sunlight REALLY hurts.
Ice packs, eye drops, dark rooms, and anti-inflammatory medicines are needed.

Check out photophobia.

https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/photophobia-facts#:~:text=Photophobia%20literally%20means%20%22fear%20of,a%20symptom%20of%20another%20problem.

It is actually common among many different ailments.

And an associated one called phonophobia.