title: Melatonin treatment in children with therapy-resistant monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effects of exogenous melatonin on the frequency of wet nights, on the sleep-wake cycle, and on the melatonin profile in children with therapy-resistant MNE.
  
  
  METHODS
  24 patients were included. Patients had to maintain a diary including time of sleep and arousal, and whether they had a dry or a wet bed in the morning. We measured baseline melatonin profiles in saliva. Hereafter, patients were randomized to synthetic melatonin or placebo. After 3 and 6 months we evaluated the frequency of enuresis and the melatonin profiles.
  
  
  RESULTS
  11 patients were randomized to melatonin, 13 to placebo. We evaluated melatonin profiles of 7 patients in the melatonin group and of 8 in the placebo group. We observed a change in profile in the melatonin group, but we did not observe a difference in the sleep-wake cycle or the frequency of wet nights in either group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first time exogenous melatonin has been evaluated in the treatment of MNE. Although we observed a change in melatonin profile after the use of exogenous melatonin, we did not observe a change in enuresis frequency or in the sleep-wake cycle of this select group of patients.
authors.affiliation: University Medical Center Utrecht, Heidelberglaan 100, NL 3584 CX Utrecht, The Netherlands. btmerks@hotmail.com
authors.forename: B T
authors.initials: BT
authors.lastname: Merks
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Burger
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Willemsen
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: van Gool
authors.forename: T P V M
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: de Jong
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D004351:Drug Resistance; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008499:Medical Records; D008550:Melatonin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053206:Nocturnal Enuresis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012016:Reference Values; D012076:Renal Agents / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D012076:Renal Agents; D008550:Melatonin