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Effects of melatonin on human mood and performance
Brain Research
|December 10, 1984
Summary
Pharmacologic doses of melatonin, a hormone primarily secreted at night, were found to have short-acting sedative-like properties in healthy men. Melatonin decreased alertness and increased sleepiness, impacting reaction time but not memory or fine motor skills.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Endocrinology
- Sleep Medicine
Background:
- The precise function of melatonin, a pineal gland hormone, remains unclear in humans.
- Melatonin is primarily secreted during nighttime, suggesting a role in circadian rhythm regulation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the behavioral effects of acute pharmacologic doses of melatonin in healthy adult males.
- To assess the impact of melatonin on mood, cognitive performance, and visual sensitivity.
Main Methods:
- Fourteen healthy men received acute oral administration of melatonin.
- Participants underwent assessments of mood (Profile of Mood States, Stanford Sleepiness Scale), performance (choice-reaction time, fine motor skills), memory, and visual sensitivity.
- Plasma melatonin concentrations were measured.
Main Results:
- Melatonin significantly reduced self-reported alertness and increased sleepiness.
- A brief decrease in choice-reaction time and a reduction in errors of commission were observed.
- Sustained fine motor performance, memory, and visual sensitivity were not significantly impaired.
Conclusions:
- Pharmacologic oral doses of melatonin exhibit significant, albeit short-lived, sedative-like properties in humans.
- Melatonin's effects on alertness and performance are transient, with no lasting impairment on memory or motor skills observed in this study.