Melatonin Levels in Parkinson’s Patients May Be Linked to Non-motor Symptoms

[pvw2]

See sharoncrayn's response to correct post.

Melatonin Levels in Parkinson’s Patients May Be Linked to Non-motor Symptoms

parkinsonsnewstoday.com/202...

[lempa_nik]

This research reveals two different correlations. Firstly, that PD patients have higher plasma melatonin levels than healthy controls. Let me restate this as A) higher melatonin levels correlates to lower dopamine in the brain, hence with motor symptoms. And secondly, B) among PD patients, lower melatonin levels correlate with several non-motor symptoms (heart problems, sleep disturbances, and gastrointestinal issues.)

So what practical conclusion can a PD patient draw from these? A first, knee-jerk reaction may be "oh, you can't win. Whether you raise or lower melatonin levels, there's a trade off between exacerbating motor or non-motor symptoms." But then one remembers that "correlation is not causation." In each case, we don't know whether melatonin levels are driving the correlated symptoms (with one exception: it seems likely that low enough melatonin will cause sleep disturbances.) In sum, since we don't know the direction of causation, we cannot conclude (apart from insomnia) that it is beneficial to raise or lower our intake of supplemental melatonin. So I do not see any practical take-away from this study. As usual . "we need more research."

[chartist in reply to lempa_nik]

The new melatonin study I posted about showed clear benefit in PWP at 10 mg per night in just 12 weeks! What I have seen in other studies is that melatonin levels in PWP are higher than healthy control groups while GSH is lower than healthy control groups. These studies tend to give the impression that higher melatonin levels equate to lower GSH levels, but the 10 mg study shows that adding melatonin not only increases glutathione, but also raises the total antioxidant capacity!Melatonin also reduced high sensitivity-C reactive protein, improved anxiety and depression test scores as well as UPDRS 1 scores in just 12 weeks!

Melatonin is already proven in other human studies to cross the blood brain barrier(BBB), to increase gene expression of catalase, glutathione peroxidase and superoxide dismutase as well as being a highly potent scavenger of peroxynitrite(ONOO) (which is proven to destroy dopaminergic neurons in the SN) in the substantia nigra and is also a potent scavenger of reactive nitrogen species and reactive oxygen species! All of these antioxidants and radical scavengers are lower in PWP. Melatonin also has potent antiinflammatory effects and can neutralize up to 10 oxygen radicals while other antioxidants can neutralize only one oxygen radical. Melatonin also inhibits NADPH Oxidase which is a promoter of peroxynitrite!

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

If you remove elevated oxidative stress and neuroinflammation in PWPs, what does the patient see as different? These two seem to be doing almost all of the damage that is seen in PD and melatonin is well versed at reducing both very significantly.

Art

[sharoncrayn in reply to lempa_nik]

Another positive study on the need for taking melatonin for individuals with PD. Seems rather conclusive to me. I don't understand any confusion over the conclusions.

"Relationship between plasma melatonin concentrations and non-motor symptoms. (A) Plasma melatonin levels in different subgroups of cardiovascular symptoms (with or without) in PD patients. Patients without cardiovascular symptoms showed higher levels of plasma melatonin. (B) Plasma melatonin levels in different subgroups of sleep disorders (with or without) in PD patients. Patients without sleep disorders showed higher levels of plasma melatonin. (C) Plasma melatonin levels in different subgroups of gastrointestinal dysfunction group (with or without) in PD patients. Patients without gastrointestinal dysfunction showed higher levels of plasma melatonin. Values are presented as the mean ± SEM. **P < 0.05."

Sharon

[pvw2 in reply to sharoncrayn]

Thanks for the clarification. Apparently I misread the without gastrointestinal dysfunction as with instead of without.

[sharoncrayn in reply to pvw2]

Your confusion is understandable. The study's language was very confusing, and to make matters worse, it was a Chinese study summarized in a pop PD journal.

Many cell biology studies and microbiology studies out of China have the language problem in spades which in why we have to read the original studies very carefully, and not the synopsis by some pop journal.

Sharon

[pvw2 in reply to sharoncrayn]

Translation issues reminds me of when a tech burst out laughing while reading a translated maintenance manual for an industrial oven and it read "beautiful paint" when the oven was battle ship grey. Of course what it meant was the non-stainless steal oven was painted to improve the appearance.

[pvw2 in reply to sharoncrayn]

I took 10 mg of melatonin for the last two days and it eliminated the need to drink coffee to get rid of brain fog in the morning. While I have no trouble going to sleep, I suspect it still affects sleep. For example, some here have mentioned neurologist prescribing melatonin to PD patients with hallucinations. Note:

"Beginning to hallucinate is among the more common symptoms of sleep deprivation. Depending on the length of sleep deprivation, approximately 80% of normal people in the population will eventually have hallucinations.5

 Most of these are visual hallucinations. These visions may be simple or complex. "

(verywellhealth.com/can-slee...