Melatonin effect on seizures in children with severe neurologic deficit disorders
1Sleep Laboratory, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel. peledbn@inter.net.il
Insights
Melatonin shows promise as an antiepileptic drug (AED) for children with severe, intractable seizures. This study observed significant seizure reduction and improved behavior with melatonin treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
Background:
- Melatonin exhibits antioxidant properties, suggesting potential antiepileptic effects.
- Previous research indicates a possible link between melatonin and seizure control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the clinical efficacy of melatonin as an antiepileptic drug (AED) in pediatric patients.
- To expand clinical experience with melatonin for intractable epilepsy.
Main Methods:
- Six children (2-15 years) with severe intractable seizures received 3 mg oral melatonin nightly for 3 months.
- Seizure activity was logged by parents; polysomnography was conducted pre- and during treatment for some patients.
Main Results:
- Significant seizure reduction was reported by parents in most patients, especially nocturnal seizures.
- Polysomnography indicated decreased epileptic activity in two of three monitored patients.
- Improvements in daytime behavior and communication were noted by parents.
Conclusions:
- Clinical observations support melatonin's antiepileptic effects in children with intractable seizures.
- Further well-controlled studies are needed to confirm efficacy.
- Melatonin use should be considered for this specific patient group.
Purpose:
Recently, melatonin has been associated with antiepileptic activity, most probably because of its antioxidant activity as a free radical scavenger. This study aimed to expand the clinical experience with melatonin as an antiepileptic drug (AED) in humans.
Methods:
Six children (aged 2-15 years), with severe intractable seizures, were treated with 3 mg of oral melatonin 30 min before bedtime, in addition to their previous AED treatment for 3 months. A diary of clinical seizure activity (time of day, duration, and type) was kept by parents for a month before and during treatment. Five patients underwent a baseline polysomnography, and three also were monitored during melatonin treatment.
Results:
With the exception of the parents of one child, all reported a significant clinical improvement in seizure activity during treatment, particularly during the night. Sleep studies showed a decrease in epileptic activity in two of the three patients who were monitored during treatment, and a change of sleep efficiency from 84.2% to 89.7% (NS). Improvement in daytime behavior and in communication abilities was reported by parents, although it was not objectively measured.
Conclusions:
This clinical observation adds to the growing data showing the antiepileptic effect of melatonin. However, owing to the paucity of well-controlled studies, using melatonin as an AED should be limited to this specific group of patients with intractable seizures.
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