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Melatonin to prevent migraine or tension-type headache in children

Silvia Miano1, Pasquale Parisi, Andrea Pelliccia

  • 1Child Neurology, Paediatric Sleep Centre and Paediatric Headache Centre, La Sapienza University - II Faculty c/o Sant' Andrea Hospital, Rome, Italy.

Neurological Sciences : Official Journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology
|September 24, 2008
PubMed

Insights

Melatonin prophylaxis significantly reduced headache frequency in children. Over half of participants experienced a greater than 50% decrease in headache attacks, with some reporting complete remission.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Primary headache disorders are common in children.
  • Preventive treatments for pediatric headaches are needed.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the efficacy of melatonin as a prophylactic treatment for primary headaches in children.
  • To assess the impact of melatonin on headache frequency and severity.

Main Methods:

  • An open-label trial involving 22 children (ages 6-16) with primary headaches.
  • A one-month baseline period followed by 3 months of oral melatonin (3 mg nightly).
  • Participants included children with recurrent migraine (with or without aura) and chronic tension-type headache.

Main Results:

  • 14 out of 21 subjects reported a >50% reduction in headache attacks compared to baseline.
  • 4 subjects reported no headache attacks after melatonin treatment.
  • One subject discontinued due to excessive daytime sleepiness.

Conclusions:

  • Melatonin shows promising results for preventing primary headaches in children.
  • Further randomized placebo-controlled trials are warranted to confirm melatonin's effectiveness.
  • Melatonin may be a viable option for pediatric headache prophylaxis.

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