Skip to main content
Journal of Medical Genetics logoLink to Journal of Medical Genetics
. 2003 Nov;40(11):793–796. doi: 10.1136/jmg.40.11.793

Melatonin supplementation for severe and intractable sleep disturbance in young people with genetically determined developmental disabilities: short review and commentary

J Turk 1
PMCID: PMC1735313  PMID: 14627665

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (158.0 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Agarwal V., Sitholey P., Kumar S., Prasad M. Double-blind, placebo-controlled trial of clonidine in hyperactive children with mental retardation. Ment Retard. 2001 Aug;39(4):259–267. doi: 10.1352/0047-6765(2001)039<0259:DBPCTO>2.0.CO;2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Autret A., Minz M., Beillevaire T., Cathala H. P., Schmitt H. Effect of clonidine on sleep patterns in man. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 1977 Dec 16;12(5):319–322. doi: 10.1007/BF00562444. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bax M. C., Colville G. A. Behaviour in mucopolysaccharide disorders. Arch Dis Child. 1995 Jul;73(1):77–81. doi: 10.1136/adc.73.1.77. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Camfield P., Gordon K., Dooley J., Camfield C. Melatonin appears ineffective in children with intellectual deficits and fragmented sleep: six "N of 1" trials. J Child Neurol. 1996 Jul;11(4):341–343. doi: 10.1177/088307389601100414. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Clarke D. J., Waters J., CORBETT J. A. Adults with Prader-Willi syndrome: abnormalities of sleep and behaviour. J R Soc Med. 1989 Jan;82(1):21–24. doi: 10.1177/014107688908200108. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Dahlitz M., Alvarez B., Vignau J., English J., Arendt J., Parkes J. D. Delayed sleep phase syndrome response to melatonin. Lancet. 1991 May 11;337(8750):1121–1124. doi: 10.1016/0140-6736(91)92787-3. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. De Leersnyder H., Bresson J. L., de Blois M-C, Souberbielle J-C, Mogenet A., Delhotal-Landes B., Salefranque F., Munnich A. Beta 1-adrenergic antagonists and melatonin reset the clock and restore sleep in a circadian disorder, Smith-Magenis syndrome. J Med Genet. 2003 Jan;40(1):74–78. doi: 10.1136/jmg.40.1.74. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Fauteck J., Schmidt H., Lerchl A., Kurlemann G., Wittkowski W. Melatonin in epilepsy: first results of replacement therapy and first clinical results. Biol Signals Recept. 1999 Jan-Apr;8(1-2):105–110. doi: 10.1159/000014577. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Findling Robert L., Feeny Norah C., Stansbrey Robert J., DelPorto-Bedoya Denise, Demeter Christine. Somatic treatment for depressive illnesses in children and adolescents. Child Adolesc Psychiatr Clin N Am. 2002 Jul;11(3):555-78, ix. doi: 10.1016/s1056-4993(02)00010-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Finucane B. M., Konar D., Haas-Givler B., Kurtz M. B., Scott C. I., Jr The spasmodic upper-body squeeze: a characteristic behavior in Smith-Magenis syndrome. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1994 Jan;36(1):78–83. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.1994.tb11770.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Gould E. L., Loesch D. Z., Martin M. J., Hagerman R. J., Armstrong S. M., Huggins R. M. Melatonin profiles and sleep characteristics in boys with fragile X syndrome: a preliminary study. Am J Med Genet. 2000 Dec 11;95(4):307–315. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Guilleminault C., McCann C. C., Quera-Salva M., Cetel M. Light therapy as treatment of dyschronosis in brain impaired children. Eur J Pediatr. 1993 Sep;152(9):754–759. doi: 10.1007/BF01953995. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Ivanenko Anna, Crabtree Valerie McLaughlin, Tauman Riva, Gozal David. Melatonin in children and adolescents with insomnia: a retrospective study. Clin Pediatr (Phila) 2003 Jan-Feb;42(1):51–58. doi: 10.1177/000992280304200108. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Jan J. E., Espezel H., Appleton R. E. The treatment of sleep disorders with melatonin. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1994 Feb;36(2):97–107. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.1994.tb11818.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Jan J. E., Espezel H. Melatonin treatment of chronic sleep disorders. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1995 Mar;37(3):279–280. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. MacFarlane J. G., Cleghorn J. M., Brown G. M., Streiner D. L. The effects of exogenous melatonin on the total sleep time and daytime alertness of chronic insomniacs: a preliminary study. Biol Psychiatry. 1991 Aug 15;30(4):371–376. doi: 10.1016/0006-3223(91)90293-u. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. McArthur A. J., Budden S. S. Sleep dysfunction in Rett syndrome: a trial of exogenous melatonin treatment. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1998 Mar;40(3):186–192. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.1998.tb15445.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Miles L. E., Raynal D. M., Wilson M. A. Blind man living in normal society has circadian rhythms of 24.9 hours. Science. 1977 Oct 28;198(4315):421–423. doi: 10.1126/science.910139. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. O'Callaghan F. J., Clarke A. A., Hancock E., Hunt A., Osborne J. P. Use of melatonin to treat sleep disorders in tuberous sclerosis. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1999 Feb;41(2):123–126. doi: 10.1017/s0012162299000237. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Palm L., Blennow G., Wetterberg L. Correction of non-24-hour sleep/wake cycle by melatonin in a blind retarded boy. Ann Neurol. 1991 Mar;29(3):336–339. doi: 10.1002/ana.410290318. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Pillar G., Etzioni A., Shahar E., Lavie P. Melatonin treatment in an institutionalised child with psychomotor retardation and an irregular sleep-wake pattern. Arch Dis Child. 1998 Jul;79(1):63–64. doi: 10.1136/adc.79.1.63. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Quine L. Sleep problems in children with mental handicap. J Ment Defic Res. 1991 Aug;35(Pt 4):269–290. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2788.1991.tb00402.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Ramchandani Paul, Joughin Carol, Zwi Morris. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in children. Clin Evid. 2002 Jun;(7):262–271. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Richdale A. L., Cotton S., Hibbit K. Sleep and behaviour disturbance in Prader-Willi syndrome: a questionnaire study. J Intellect Disabil Res. 1999 Oct;43(Pt 5):380–392. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2788.1999.043005380.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Serfaty Marc, Kennell-Webb Sandra, Warner James, Blizard Robert, Raven Peter. Double blind randomised placebo controlled trial of low dose melatonin for sleep disorders in dementia. Int J Geriatr Psychiatry. 2002 Dec;17(12):1120–1127. doi: 10.1002/gps.760. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Sheldon S. H. Pro-convulsant effects of oral melatonin in neurologically disabled children. Lancet. 1998 Apr 25;351(9111):1254–1254. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(05)79321-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Sloper P., Knussen C., Turner S., Cunningham C. Factors related to stress and satisfaction with life in families of children with Down's syndrome. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1991 May;32(4):655–676. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1991.tb00342.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Smith A. C., Dykens E., Greenberg F. Sleep disturbance in Smith-Magenis syndrome (del 17 p11.2). Am J Med Genet. 1998 Mar 28;81(2):186–191. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Stebbens V. A., Dennis J., Samuels M. P., Croft C. B., Southall D. P. Sleep related upper airway obstruction in a cohort with Down's syndrome. Arch Dis Child. 1991 Nov;66(11):1333–1338. doi: 10.1136/adc.66.11.1333. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Stores G. Sleep studies in children with a mental handicap. J Child Psychol Psychiatry. 1992 Nov;33(8):1303–1317. doi: 10.1111/j.1469-7610.1992.tb00951.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. Vostanis P., Harrington R., Prendergast M., Farndon P. Case reports of autism with interstitial deletion of chromosome 17 (p11.2 p11.2) and monosomy of chromosome 5 (5pter-->5p15.3). Psychiatr Genet. 1994 Summer;4(2):109–111. doi: 10.1097/00041444-199422000-00008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Weitzman E. D., Czeisler C. A., Coleman R. M., Spielman A. J., Zimmerman J. C., Dement W., Richardson G., Pollak C. P. Delayed sleep phase syndrome. A chronobiological disorder with sleep-onset insomnia. Arch Gen Psychiatry. 1981 Jul;38(7):737–746. doi: 10.1001/archpsyc.1981.01780320017001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Medical Genetics are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES