Meta-analysis of randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of melatonin in Alzheimer's disease.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of melatonin in improving sleep quality in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) through a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
Results Summary
The meta-analysis found that melatonin treatment prolonged total sleep time at night in AD patients, with a small but statistically significant effect (SMD: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.51). The study concluded that melatonin appears to be effective and safe for improving sleep quality in AD patients.
Population
Patients with Alzheimer's disease (n = 462 across seven studies).
Effective Dosage
Not specified in the abstract.
Duration
Ranged from 10 days to 24 weeks.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
melatonin treatment | increase | total sleep time at night | AD patients | SMD: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.51 | showed prolonged | #1 |
melatonin | increase | sleep quality | patients with AD | - | appears to be effective and safe in improving | #2 |
OBJECTIVE: This is a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of the efficacy of melatonin in Alzheimer's disease (AD). METHODS: Both English (PubMed, PsycINFO, Embase, Cochrane Library databases, and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register) and Chinese (WanFang Database, Chinese Biomedical Database, and China Journal Net) databases were systematically and independently searched by two authors from their inception until 1 March 2016. Weighted and standard mean differences (SMDs), risk ratio (RR) ±95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. In all cases, the random effects model was used. RESULTS: Seven studies (n = 462) with the duration ranging from 10 days to 24 weeks were identified and analyzed. AD patients receiving melatonin treatment showed prolonged total sleep time at night (n = 305; SMD: 0.26, 95% CI: 0.01 to 0.51, I CONCLUSION: Melatonin appears to be effective and safe in improving sleep quality in patients with AD. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.