Pineal calcification in Alzheimer's disease: An in vivo study using computed tomography

Mahlberg, Richard; Walther, Sebastian; Kalus, Peter; Böhner, Georg; Haedel, Sven; Reischies, Friedel M.; Kühl, Klaus-Peter; Hellweg, Rainer; Kunz, Dieter

doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2006.10.003

Cited by 79 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…[45][46][47] Several studies have shown that melatonin levels are diminished in AD patients compared to agematched control subjects. [48][49][50] Moreover, cerebrospinal fluid melatonin levels decrease even in preclinical stages when the patients do not manifest any cognitive impairment, suggesting that the reduction in melatonin is an early marker for the first stages of AD. 51,52 The rational basis the dose of 5 mg of melatonin in our patients rests on the 'Melatonin replacement hypothesis' by Hughes, 53 according to which insomnia in elderly people is in part due to an age-related decline in melatonin so that a replacement therapy with high doses of melatonin is expected to improve insomnia in these patients.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of a diet integration with an oily emulsion of DHA-phospholipids containing melatonin and tryptophan in elderly patients suffering from mild cognitive impairment

Rondanelli

Opizzi

Faliva

et al. 2012

Nutritional Neuroscience

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Age-related changes in nutritional status can play an important role in brain functioning. Specific nutrient deficiencies in the elderly may exacerbate pathological processes in the brain. Consequently, the potential of nutritional intervention to prevent or delay cognitive impairment and the development of dementia is an important topic. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial has been performed in 25 elderly subjects (86 ± 6 years, 20 females, 5 males) with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). These subjects were randomly assigned to supplement their diet with either an oily emulsion of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)-phospholipids containing melatonin and tryptophan (11 subjects) or a placebo (14-matched subjects) for 12 weeks. The main aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of the dietary supplement on cognition, by the assessment at the start and after 12 weeks of: (1) Orientation and other cognitive functions: Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE); (2) Short-term memory: digit, verbal, and spatial span (digit span; verbal span; Corsi's test); (3) Long-term memory: Rey's auditory-verbal learning test; 'short story' test; Rey-Osterrieth complex figure (recall); (4) Attentional abilities: attentive matrices; (5) Executive functions: Weigl's sorting test; phonological fluency 'FAS'; (6) Visuo-constructional and visuo-spatial abilities: copy of simple drawings; Rey-Osterrieth complex figure (copy); (7) Language: semantic fluency; (8) Mood: Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS). Moreover, Sniffin' Sticks olfaction test and Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) have been performed. After 12 weeks, a significant treatment effect for the MMSE (P < 0.001) and a positive trend for the semantic verbal fluency was found in the supplement group (P < 0.06). A significant treatment effect was found out for the olfactory sensitivity assessment (P < 0.009). As regards the nutrition evaluation, after 12 weeks of treatment the supplemented group showed an improvement in the MNA score with a significant difference relative to placebo (P < 0.005). Older adults with MCI had significant improvements in several measures of cognitive function when supplemented with an oily emulsion of DHA-phospholipids containing melatonin and tryptophan for 12 weeks, compared with the placebo.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of a diet integration with an oily emulsion of DHA-phospholipids containing melatonin and tryptophan in elderly patients suffering from mild cognitive impairment

Rondanelli

Opizzi

Faliva

et al. 2012

Nutritional Neuroscience

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Melatonin is inversely proportional to severity of AD pathology [41]. The decrease in melatonin in AD patients may be related to SCN degeneration [32•, 42] and pineal calcification [43,44].…”

Section: Why Might Melatonin Be Helpful For Sleep Disorders In Peoplementioning

confidence: 99%

Melatonin for Sleep Disorders in Patients with Neurodegenerative Diseases

Trotti

Karroum

2016

Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep

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In patients with neurodegenerative diseases, sleep disorders are common; they impair the quality of life for patients and caregivers and are associated with poorer clinical outcomes. Melatonin has circadian, hypnotic, and free radical-scavenging effects, and preclinical data suggest benefits of melatonin on neurodegeneration. However, randomized, controlled trials of melatonin in patients with neurodegenerative diseases have not shown strong effects. Trials in Alzheimer's patients demonstrate a lack of benefit on sleep quantity. Subjective measures of sleep quality are mixed, with possible symptomatic improvements seen only on some measures or at some time points. Benefits on cognition have not been observed across several studies. In Parkinson's patients, there may be minimal benefit on objective sleep measures, but a suggestion of subjective benefit in few, small studies. Effective treatments for the sleep disorders associated with neurodegenerative diseases are urgently needed, but current data are insufficient to establish melatonin as such a treatment.

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“…Therefore, Aβ and tau represent the important therapeutic targets in AD pathology. Studies have showed that melatonin levels are lower in AD patients compared with that in agematched control subjects [106][107][108]. It has been reported that Fig.…”

Section: Melatonin In Alzheimer's Disease (Ad)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Promising Role of Melatonin as Neuroprotectant in Neurodegenerative Pathology

et al. 2014

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Melatonin treatment showed a potent neuroprotective action in experimental models and in clinical studies. However, the entire disease prevention is not observed with melatonin treatment. Therefore, findings have suggested its future use in combination therapies for neurological diseases. Several studies have showed its free radical scavenging, antioxidant property, antiapoptotic activity, and its action towards enhanced mitochondrial function. It has direct and indirect effects on mitochondrial functions. Neurodegenerative disease pathology includes the impaired mitochondrial functions and apoptotic death of neurons due to energy crisis which could be prevented with antiapoptotic activity of melatonin. However, for the therapeutic use of melatonin, researchers also need to pay attention towards the various intermediary events taking place in apoptotic death of neurons during disease pathology. Age-related neurological diseases include the decreased level of melatonin in neuronal death. Therefore, it is worthwhile to discuss about the different functions of melatonin in aspect of its antioxidative property, its role in the enhancement of mitochondrial function, and its antiapoptotic attributes. This review summarizes the reports to date showing the potent role of melatonin in experimental models and clinical trials and discussing the employment of melatonin as future potent neuroprotective agent.

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Pineal calcification in Alzheimer's disease: An in vivo study using computed tomography

Cited by 79 publications

References 41 publications

Effects of a diet integration with an oily emulsion of DHA-phospholipids containing melatonin and tryptophan in elderly patients suffering from mild cognitive impairment

Effects of a diet integration with an oily emulsion of DHA-phospholipids containing melatonin and tryptophan in elderly patients suffering from mild cognitive impairment

Melatonin for Sleep Disorders in Patients with Neurodegenerative Diseases

Promising Role of Melatonin as Neuroprotectant in Neurodegenerative Pathology

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