Melatonin May Play Role in Seizures 34826

Melatonin May Play Role in Seizures

NEW YORK--Researchers from Columbia University here found that low melatoninlevels may lead to seizures in epileptics, according to a study in the Dec. 12 Neurology(55, 11: 1746-8). The study's authors, led by Carl Bazil, M.D., Ph.D., foundthat melatonin levels were low in patients with epilepsy compared to controls,although the hormone increased three-fold following seizures. The researchersconcluded that further research should be conducted on melatonin supplementationand epileptics.
However, in a study published in the October Epileptic Disorders (2,4:203-8), researchers in Sweden found that found that epileptic patientsexperienced seizures at night when plasma melatonin levels were several timeshigher than those during the day. The authors agreed that even though melatonincan exert a depressive effect on brain and has been show to have ananti-convulsive influence in animals and humans, melatonin might also induceconvulsions. For additional information about either study, visit www.ncbi.nlm.nih.govand conduct a keyword search using "PubMed."