Patients with intractable epilepsy have low melatonin, which increases following seizures.
Melatonin, which is used to treat sleep disorders, has anticonvulsant properties. The authors measured salivary melatonin and cortisol, at baseline and following seizures, in patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy and controls. Melatonin was reduced in patients with epilepsy at baseline compared with controls, and increased threefold following seizures. Cortisol also increased following seizures. Patients with intractable epilepsy have low baseline melatonin levels that increase dramatically following seizures.
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Department of Neurology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY, USA. cwb11@columbia.edu
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D000328:Adult; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000032:analysis*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012463:Saliva / Q000378:metabolism
D008550:Melatonin; D006854:Hydrocortisone