Melatonin therapy in patients with Alzheimer's disease

• Autores: Cardinali, Daniel Pedro; Vigo, Daniel Eduardo; Olivar, Natividad; Vidal, María Florencia; Brusco, Luis I.
• Año de publicación: 2014
• Idioma: inglés
• Tipo de recurso: artículo
• Fuente: Antioxidants 3, 2014
• Materia: MELATONINA; ENFERMEDAD DE ALZHEIMER; ENVEJECIMIENTO; DETERIORO COGNITIVO LEVE; TRASTORNOS DE LA MEMORIA
• Institución: Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina

Fil: Cardinali, Daniel P. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Departamento de Docencia e Investigación; Argentina
Fil: Vigo, Daniel E. Pontificia Universidad Católica Argentina. Facultad de Ciencias Médicas. Departamento de Docencia e Investigación; Argentina
Fil: Olivar, Natividad. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín. Centro de Neuropsiquiatría y Neurología de la Conducta; Argentina
Fil: Vidal, María Florencia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín. Centro de Neuropsiquiatría y Neurología de la Conducta; Argentina
Fil: Brusco, Luis I. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital de Clínicas José de San Martín. Centro de Neuropsiquiatría y Neurología de la Conducta; Argentina
Abstract: Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a major health problem and a growing recognition exists that efforts to prevent it must be undertaken by both governmental and non-governmental organizations. In this context, the pineal product, melatonin, has a promising significance because of its chronobiotic/cytoprotective properties potentially useful for a number of aspects of AD. One of the features of advancing age is the gradual decrease in circulating melatonin levels. A limited number of therapeutic trials have indicated that melatonin has a therapeutic value as a neuroprotective drug in the treatment of AD and minimal cognitive impairment (which may evolve to AD). Both in vitro and in vivo, melatonin prevented the neurodegeneration seen in experimental models of AD. For these effects to occur, doses of melatonin about two orders of magnitude higher than those required to affect sleep and circadian rhythmicity are needed. More recently, attention has been focused on the development of potent melatonin analogs with prolonged effects, which were employed in clinical trials in sleep-disturbed or depressed patients in doses considerably higher than those employed for melatonin. In view that the relative potencies of the analogs are higher than that of the natural compound, clinical trials employing melatonin in the range of 50–100 mg/day are urgently needed to assess its therapeutic validity in neurodegenerative disorders such as AD.