Neurodegeneration
Medical Studies on Melatonin – Neurodegeneration
Melatonin also plays a key role in neuroprotection, because disruptions of the day/night cycle often have consequences for mental health. This has been proven on multiple occasions by studies. What’s more, the severity and course of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s can be improved by melatonin.
Depression
Studies have observed that persons suffering from depression exhibit changes in their melatonin secretion and thus also their sleep/wake cycle. How we sleep is therefore also considered to be an important biomarker in the diagnosis, prevention and treatment of depression. By normalising these melatonin disorders, behaviour changes can be improved and depression mitigated.
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease
Low melatonin values, which are exhibited through daytime tiredness and nocturnal activity, are demonstrable in many Alzheimer’s and also Parkinson’s patients. Studies have been able to demonstrate that melatonin supplements administered for both of these diseases resulted in a significant improvement in symptoms, especially in the early stages of the disease.
Melatonin has a preventative effect
Melatonin has also been used to reduce oxidative stress in the brain and to reduce – or sometimes even prevent – the loss of nerve cells and damage to the brain. Melatonin is therefore primarily a preventative measure against Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Studies are still under way to determine if it can be used in a curative capacity.
Medical Studies on Melatonin – Neurodegeneration
2019-10-12
Melatonin is a hormone that is secreted by the pineal gland. To date, melatonin is known to regulate the sleep cycle by controlling the circadian rhythm. However, recent advances in neuroscience and molecular biology have led to the discovery of new actions and effects of melatonin.
2019-10-03
Studies on circadian timing in depression have produced variable results, with some investigations suggesting phase advances and others phase delays. This variability may be attributable to differences in participant diagnosis, medication use, and methodology between studies.
2019-09-02
Humans live in a 24-hour environment, in which light and darkness follow a diurnal pattern. Our circadian pacemaker, the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN) in the hypothalamus, is entrained to the 24-hour solar day via a pathway from the retina and synchronises our internal biological rhythms.
2019-08-02
Healthy circadian rhythmicity has been suggested to relate to a better state of brain-injured patients and to support the emergence of consciousness in patient groups characterized by a relative instability thereof such as patients with disorders of consciousness (DOC).
2019-07-26
Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) often have circadian rhythm alteration and sleep disturbance. The pineal gland regulates the circadian rhythm and sleep by the secretion of melatonin neurohormone. However, the relationship between pineal abnormality and MDD remains elusive.
2019-07-03
Prevention of neurodegenerative diseases is presently a major goal for our Society and melatonin, an unusual phylogenetically conserved molecule present in all aerobic organisms, merits consideration in this respect.
2019-06-26
Circadian rhythms (CR) are a series of endogenous autonomous oscillators generated by the molecular circadian clock which acting on coordinating internal time with the external environment in a 24-h daily cycle.
2019-06-03
Melatonin (MLT), a neuromodulator mainly acting through two G-protein coupled receptors MT1 and MT2, regulates many brain functions, including circadian rhythms, mood, pain and sleep. MLT and non-selective MT1/MT2 receptor agonists are clinically used in neuropsychiatric and/or sleep disorders.
2019-02-08
Previous research has identified insomnia as a predictor for the onset of depression. The aim of this meta-analysis is to investigate whether insomnia also predicts the onset of other mental disorders.
2019-01-03
This study compared urinary 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (aMT6s) over 24 hours among fibromyalgia (FM), major depression disorder (MDD), and healthy control (HC) groups, and examined whether rhythm is correlated with depressive symptoms. To answer this question we compared the rhythm of urinary aMT6s secretion among each group in four time series: morning (06:00-12:00 hours), afternoon (12:00-18:00 hours), evening (18:00-24:00 hours), and night (24:00-06:00 hours). In the FM subjects, we assessed if the rhythm of urinary aMT6s secretion is associated with pain severity, sleep quality, number of trigger points (NTPs), and the pain pressure threshold (PPT).
2010-12-19
During the last 20 years, numerous clinical trials have examined the therapeutic usefulness of melatonin in different fields of medicine. The objective of this article is to review, in depth, the science regarding clinical trials performed to date.
2005-02-07
This double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study in epileptic children, aged 3 to 12 years, evaluated the effect of add-on melatonin on the sleep behavior of these children on sodium valproate monotherapy using a parental questionnaire.
2003-08-01
Previously, we reported that morning bright light therapy improved sleep time and cognitive function in Alzheimer type of dementia.
1999-04-06
At a single evening dose of 5-10 mg, melatonin (MLT), the pineal gland hormone, can exert a positive effect on the frequency of epileptic attacks in children with sleep disturbances of various etiologies.