[Diurnal secretion profile of melatonin in epileptic children with or without photosensitivity and an observation of altered circadian rhythm in a case of completely under dark living condition].
Diurnal secretion profile of melatonin was studied by measuring multiple serum melatonin levels in three photosensitive epileptic children (group P) and eleven epileptic children without photosensitivity (group E). In the group E patients a normal fluctuation pattern of serum melatonin levels was observed; low and stable during daytime and rapidly elevating and high in the night. Five out of eleven patients took midday naps, which did not cause any change of serum melatonin level, remaining at the low baseline level. In 2 out of 3 patients in group P, nocturnal peak levels were far lower than those in group E. The third case with severe photosensitive epilepsy was kept in a dark room with the aim of avoiding slightest light stimuli that may provoke seizures. During the period of the dark room therapy extending over 105 days, her circadian rhythm of sleep-wakefulness was prolonged from 24.00 hours to 24.27 hours. Nocturnal increment of melatonin was observed in this case. It was concluded that an endogenous circadian rhythm is operating in the melatonin secretion and that this mechanism is intact in epileptic children irrespective to the presence or absence of photosensitivity.
Department of Pediatrics, Tokyo Women's Medical College.
A
A
Miyamoto
M
M
Itoh
K
K
Hayashi
M
M
Hara
Y
Y
Fukuyama
D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002940:Circadian Rhythm / Q000502:physiology*; D003623:Dark Adaptation / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008027:Light; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000378:metabolism*; D012894:Sleep Stages / Q000502:physiology
D008550:Melatonin