From the Research
Effectiveness of Melatonin in Treating Epilepsy
- Melatonin has been reported to decrease epileptic seizure frequency with no long-term side effects 1.
- A pilot study found that melatonin decreased diurnal seizures significantly compared to placebo in patients with intractable epilepsy 1.
- However, a review of published data found that the evidence for melatonin affecting seizure control is limited and allows no firm conclusions to be drawn 2.
Studies on Melatonin and Epilepsy
- A cross-over clinical trial study found that adding melatonin to routine anti-seizure treatment was effective in reducing the severity of epilepsy and improving sleep quality in patients with idiopathic generalized tonic-clonic seizures alone 3.
- A review of the potential role of melatonin in the pathogenesis of epilepsy and its comorbidities suggests that melatonin may be neuroprotective against neurological disorders and thus may be translated as an antiepileptic 4.
- A systematic review and meta-analysis found that add-on melatonin treatment improved sleep latency and seizure severity in patients with epilepsy, with minimal adverse events reported 5.
Key Findings
- Melatonin may be effective in decreasing daytime seizure frequency in patients with intractable epilepsy 1.
- Melatonin can improve sleep quality in patients with epilepsy 3, 5.
- The evidence for melatonin affecting seizure control is limited, and further studies are required to definitively determine its efficacy and safety 2, 5.