Neural Correlates of Sleep Recovery following Melatonin Treatment for Pediatric Concussion: A Randomized Controlled Trial.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to identify neural correlates of melatonin treatment and assess its effects on sleep disturbances and clinical recovery in children with persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS).
Results Summary
Melatonin supplementation increased functional connectivity in posterior default mode network regions and was associated with reduced wake periods, suggesting improved sleep-wake behavior. The study also noted improvements in sleep domain scores and clinical recovery.
Population
Pediatric cohort (62 children) with persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS).
Effective Dosage
3 mg or 10 mg of melatonin.
Duration
28 days.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
melatonin supplementation | decrease | sleep disturbance and fatigue | children with persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS) | - | could be ameliorated | #1 |
melatonin treatment | increase | functional connectivity (FC) of posterior default mode network (DMN) regions with visual, somatosensory, and dorsal networks | children with PPCS | - | increased | #2 |
melatonin treatment | decrease | wake periods | children with PPCS | - | corresponded with reduced | #3 |
Evidence-based treatments for children with persistent post-concussion symptoms (PPCS) are few and limited. Common PPCS complaints such as sleep disturbance and fatigue could be ameliorated via the supplementation of melatonin, which has significant neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aims to identify neural correlates of melatonin treatment with changes in sleep disturbances and clinical recovery in a pediatric cohort with PPCS. We examined structural and functional neuroimaging (fMRI) in 62 children with PPCS in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of 3 mg or 10 mg of melatonin (NCT01874847). The primary outcome was the total youth self-report Post-Concussion Symptom Inventory (PCSI) score after 28 days of treatment. Secondary outcomes included the change in the sleep domain PCSI score and sleep-wake behavior (assessed using wrist-worn actigraphy). Whole-brain analyses of (1) functional connectivity (FC) of resting-state fMRI, and (2) structural gray matter volumes via voxel-based morphometry were assessed immediately before and after melatonin treatment and compared with placebo to identify neural effects of melatonin treatment. Increased FC of posterior default mode network (DMN) regions with visual, somatosensory, and dorsal networks was detected in the melatonin groups over time. The FC increases also corresponded with reduced wake periods (