Clinical Uses of Melatonin in Neurological Diseases and Mental and Behavioural Disorders

Title:Clinical Uses of Melatonin in Neurological Diseases and Mental and Behavioural Disorders

Volume: 24 Issue: 35

Author(s): Emilio J. Sanchez-Barcelo*, Noemi Rueda, María D. Mediavilla , Carmen Martinez-Cue and Russel J. Reiter

Affiliation:

• Department of Physiology & Pharmacology, School of Medicine, University of Cantabria, 39011 Santander,Spain

Keywords: Melatonin, Alzheimer's disease; Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, headaches, epilepsy, spinal cord injury, ischemic stroke, sleep disorders.

Abstract: Background: Melatonin is a molecule with numerous properties applicable to the treatment of neurological diseases. Among these properties are the following: potent scavenger of oxygen and nitrogen reactive species, anti-inflammatory features, immuno-enhancing nature, and modulation of circadian rhythmicity. Furthermore, low concentrations of melatonin are usually found in patients with neurological diseases and mental disorders. The positive results obtained in experimental models of diverse pathologies, including diseases of the nervous system (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, multiple sclerosis, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington's disease, epilepsy, headaches, etc.) as well as mental and behavioural disordes (e.g., autism spectrum disorders, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders, etc.), have served as a basis for the design of clinical trials to study melatonin's possible usefulness in human pathology, although the satisfactory results obtained from the laboratory “bench” are not always applicable to the patient's “bedside”.

Objective: In this article, we review those papers describing the results of the administration of melatonin to humans for various therapeutic purposes in the field of neuropathology.

Conclusion: Clinical trials with strong methodologies and appropriate doses of melatonin are necessary to support or reject the usefulness of melatonin in neurological diseases.

Cite this article as:

Sanchez-Barcelo J. Emilio*, Rueda Noemi , Mediavilla D. María , Martinez-Cue Carmen and Reiter J. Russel , Clinical Uses of Melatonin in Neurological Diseases and Mental and Behavioural Disorders, Current Medicinal Chemistry 2017; 24 (35) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/0929867324666170718105557