PMID: 15374123Mar 1, 1997Paper

Melatonin - a chronobiotic and soporific hormone

Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics
I Haimov, P Lavie

Abstract

In this report we review evidence that melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland during the hours of darkness, plays a major role in the synchronization of the sleep/wake cycle. The production of melatonin is regulated by a structure located in the hypothalamus called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). The activity of the SCN is strongly affected by changes in illumination and, as a consequence, melatonin levels are high during darkness and low in the light and it, therefore, reflects the cycle. Changes in sleep/wake patterns are among the hallmarks of biological aging. Complaints of difficulty in initiating and maintaining sleep, and daytime drowsiness, are more common in the elderly than in any other age group. In this report, we review evidence that impaired meltonin secretion is associated with sleep disorders in old age. Circulating melatonin levels have been found to be significantly lower in elderly insomniacs than in age-matched controls, and their onset and peak times delayed. In view of these findings, we investigated the effects of melatonin treatment on melatonin-deficient insomnia in the elderly. From the results of our study, it seems likely that melatonin replacement therapy may be beneficial in the initi...Continue Reading

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Citations

Dec 18, 2009·European Archives of Psychiatry and Clinical Neuroscience·Shadab Ataur RahmanColin Michael Shapiro
Aug 18, 2004·Sleep Medicine Reviews·D P Cardinali, P Pévet
Sep 10, 2003·Sports Medicine·Greg AtkinsonJim Waterhouse
Nov 21, 2007·CNS Drugs·Seithikurippu R Pandi-PerumalDaniel P Cardinali
Jun 14, 2005·World Journal of Surgery·Edward RamZeev Dreznik
Apr 27, 2010·Toxicology·Dominique Bonnefont-Rousselot, Fabrice Collin
Aug 2, 2008·Ageing Research Reviews·Ettore Ferrari, Flavia Magri
May 1, 2011·The Japanese Psychological Research·Michele L Okun
Sep 27, 2005·Experimental Gerontology·S R Pandi-PerumalD P Cardinali
Jan 1, 2011·Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery·Syed Ibrahim Rizvi, Rashmi Jha
Nov 21, 2009·Integrative Cancer Therapies·William J M HrusheskyDonald Braun
Mar 21, 2007·Basic & Clinical Pharmacology & Toxicology·Sergio D ParedesAna B Rodríguez
Nov 3, 2005·British Journal of Cancer·R D LevinW J M Hrushesky

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