DAYTIME MELATONIN ADMINISTRATION IN ELDERLY GOOD AND POOR SLEEPERS - EFFECTS ON CORE BODY-TEMPERATURE AND SLEEP LATENCY

Citation
K. Lushington et al., DAYTIME MELATONIN ADMINISTRATION IN ELDERLY GOOD AND POOR SLEEPERS - EFFECTS ON CORE BODY-TEMPERATURE AND SLEEP LATENCY, Sleep, 20(12), 1997, pp. 1135-1144
Citations number
59
Categorie Soggetti
Behavioral Sciences","Clinical Neurology
Journal title
SleepACNP
ISSN journal
01618105
Volume
20
Issue
12
Year of publication
1997
Pages
1135 - 1144
Database
ISI
SICI code
0161-8105(1997)20:12<1135:DMAIEG>2.0.ZU;2-N
Abstract
Melatonin has been shown to have hypnotic and hypothermic effects in y oung adults and has been proposed as treatment for insomnia. However, the hypnotic and thermoregulatory effects of melatonin remain to be si multaneously investigated for aged good and poor sleepers. The aim of this study was to explore the short term effects of exogenous oral day time melatonin on core body temperature, sleep latency, and subjective vigor and affect in aged women. Twelve sleep maintenance insomniacs a nd 10 good sleeping postmenopausal female subjects [mean (SD) age = 65 .2 (7.4) years] participated in a double-blind, crossover study in whi ch they received a capsule containing either melatonin (5 mg) or a pla cebo at 1400 hours. Continuous core body temperature and hourly multip le sleep latency tests (MSLT) were collected from 1100-2030 hours. Sel f-reported estimates of global vigor (sleepiness) and affect were coll ected prior to each MSLT using visual analog scales. Comparison of goo d and poor sleepers failed to reveal any significant differences in co re body temperature, sleep latency, or subjective vigor and affect. Ho wever, for both groups combined, melatonin administration [absolute po stadministration mean (SEM) = 36.9 (0.05)degrees C] significantly lowe red core body temperature compared with placebo [37.1 (0.05)degrees C] . Similarly, melatonin administration significantly reduced latency to stage 1 (SOL1) and stage 2 (SOL2) [absolute postadministration mean S OL1 = 20.1 (1.7) and SOL2 = 20.7 (1.6) minutes] compared with placebo [SOL1 = 24.3 (1.2) and SOL2 = 25.2 (1.1) minutes]. Treatment had no si gnificant effect on either vigor or affect. Overall, our results sugge st that although short-term exogenous oral daytime melatonin has signi ficant hypothermic and hypnotic effects in aged women, the size of the effects is modest.