title: Melatonin for Sleep Disorders in Patients with Neurodegenerative Diseases.
abstract: In patients with neurodegenerative diseases, sleep disorders are common; they impair the quality of life for patients and caregivers and are associated with poorer clinical outcomes. Melatonin has circadian, hypnotic, and free radical-scavenging effects, and preclinical data suggest benefits of melatonin on neurodegeneration. However, randomized, controlled trials of melatonin in patients with neurodegenerative diseases have not shown strong effects. Trials in Alzheimer's patients demonstrate a lack of benefit on sleep quantity. Subjective measures of sleep quality are mixed, with possible symptomatic improvements seen only on some measures or at some time points. Benefits on cognition have not been observed across several studies. In Parkinson's patients, there may be minimal benefit on objective sleep measures, but a suggestion of subjective benefit in few, small studies. Effective treatments for the sleep disorders associated with neurodegenerative diseases are urgently needed, but current data are insufficient to establish melatonin as such a treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, 12 Executive Park Dr NE, Atlanta, GA, 30329, USA. Lbecke2@emory.edu.|Emory Sleep Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA. Lbecke2@emory.edu.
authors.forename: Lynn Marie
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Trotti
authors.affiliation: Emory Sleep Center, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
authors.forename: Elias G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Karroum
mesh_terms: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D008550:Melatonin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019636:Neurodegenerative Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D012893:Sleep Wake Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D008550:Melatonin
keywords: Alzheimer’s disease; Circadian rhythm; Insomnia; Melatonin; Neurodegenerative disease; Parkinson’s disease; REM sleep behavior disorder