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Clinical efficacy and safety of melatonin supplementation in multiple sclerosis: a systematic review.

Inflammopharmacology
October 1, 2023
Soroush Morsali et al. (9 authors)
Systematic ReviewJournal ArticleReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to evaluate the tolerability and beneficial effects of exogenous melatonin supplementation in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Results Summary

The study found no substantial safety issues with melatonin supplementation. While melatonin was associated with improved oxidative stress and inflammation, clinical benefits such as sleep conditions, cognitive outcomes, and fatigue showed limited evidence of improvement.

Population

Patients with multiple sclerosis, predominantly relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS), with some studies including secondary progressive MS (SPMS) or mixed phenotypes.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Between 2 weeks and 12 months

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (4)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
melatonin supplementation
increase
oxidative stress and inflammation status
patients with MS
-
was associated with enhanced
#1
melatonin supplementation
increase
sleep conditions
patients with MS
-
suggested improvements in
#2
melatonin supplementation
increase
cognitive outcomes
patients with MS
-
suggested improvements in
#3
melatonin supplementation
increase
fatigue
patients with MS
-
suggested improvements in
#4
Abstract

BACKGROUND: Melatonin is a neurohormone secreted predominantly by the pineal gland that is demonstrated to be associated with the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). This research desires to evaluate the tolerability and beneficial effects of exogenous melatonin supplementations in patients with MS. METHODS: This study was executed following the PRISMA 2020 statement. Both observational and interventional studies which reported the clinical effectiveness and/or safety of melatonin supplementation in patients with MS were included in this systematic review. Ovid, PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science databases were searched and the risk of bias in included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal tools based on study design. RESULTS: Out of 1304 results of database searches, finally, 14 articles, including 7 randomized controlled trials (RCTs), 6 case-control studies, and one quasi-experimental study, were included based on the full-text review. Included phenotypes of MS were mostly relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) (in 11 studies); it was secondary progressive MS (SPMS) in only one study, and two other studies had a mixture of the different phenotypes. The course of treatment with melatonin supplementation was between 2 weeks and 12 months. There were no substantial safety issues. Although melatonin was associated with enhanced oxidative stress and inflammation status, concerning the clinical benefits, limited studies suggested improvements in sleep conditions, cognitive outcomes, and fatigue in MS. DISCUSSION: There are insufficient data to support the regular melatonin prescription in MS. Limitations such as the small number of included studies, the diversity of the dosage, route, and duration of melatonin administration, and the diversity of assessment tests lead to unconvincing findings in this study. There is a need for future studies to achieve a comprehensive judgment on this subject.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
HumansMelatoninMultiple SclerosisMultiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-RemittingTreatment OutcomeDietary Supplements
Study Links
Quality Scores
Safety85
Efficacy60/10
Quality75/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations11
Citations/Year5.5
Relative Citation Ratio3.43
NIH Percentile87.6%
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.50
Weight Score2.73
Normalized Score0.73
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