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Exogenous melatonin as a treatment for secondary sleep disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Frontiers in neuroendocrinology
January 1, 2019
Tian Li et al. (8 authors)
Journal ArticleMeta-AnalysisResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tSystematic ReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to determine the efficacy of exogenous melatonin versus placebo in managing secondary sleep disorders.

Results Summary

Pooled data showed that exogenous melatonin reduces sleep onset latency and increases total sleep time but has minimal effect on sleep efficiency. The efficacy of melatonin requires further confirmation, but the meta-analysis supports its use for secondary sleep disorders.

Population

Patients with secondary sleep disorders (205 participants across 7 studies).

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (3)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
exogenous melatonin
decrease
sleep onset latency
patients with secondary sleep disorders
-
lowers
#1
exogenous melatonin
increase
total sleep time
patients with secondary sleep disorders
-
increases
#2
exogenous melatonin
no change
sleep efficiency
patients with secondary sleep disorders
-
has little if any effect on
#3
Abstract

Melatonin is a physiological indoleamine involved in circadian rhythm regulation and it is currently used for secondary sleep disorders supported by empirical evidence. A small amount of evidence and some controversial results have been obtained in some randomized controlled trials (RCT). The objective of this meta-analysis is to determine the efficacy of exogenous melatonin versus placebo in managing secondary sleep disorders. Literature retrieval of eligible RCT was performed in 5 databases (PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, ClinicalTrials.gov, and Web of Science). In total, 7 studies of 205 patients were included. Pooled data demonstrate that exogenous melatonin lowers sleep onset latency and increases total sleep time, whereas it has little if any effect on sleep efficiency. Although, the efficacy of melatonin still requires further confirmation, this meta-analysis clearly supports the use of melatonin as a management for patients with secondary sleep disorders.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
Central Nervous System DepressantsHumansMelatoninSleep StagesSleep Wake Disorders
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy75/10
Quality80/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations71
Citations/Year11.8
Relative Citation Ratio4.43
NIH Percentile91.6%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.95
Weight Score2.49
Normalized Score0.66
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