The use of melatonin to mitigate the adverse metabolic side effects of antipsychotics.
Study Goal
The researchers aimed to determine whether nightly melatonin administration could mitigate or prevent antipsychotic-induced adverse metabolic effects (AMEs).
Results Summary
Recent clinical trials suggest that nightly melatonin administration may mitigate or prevent antipsychotic-induced AMEs, with preclinical data implicating the circadian system in these effects.
Population
Individuals diagnosed with psychiatric illnesses who are taking antipsychotic medications.
Effective Dosage
Nightly administration (specific dosage not provided).
Duration
Not specified.
Interactions
None mentioned.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Antipsychotic drugs | neutral | psychiatric illness | many individuals diagnosed with a psychiatric illness | - | are efficacious first-line treatments | #1 |
Antipsychotic drugs | neutral | metabolic syndrome | - | - | adverse metabolic side-effect profile | #2 |
Antipsychotic drugs | increase | morbidity | - | - | increases morbidity | #3 |
Antipsychotic drugs | decrease | treatment adherence | - | - | limits treatment adherence | #4 |
nightly administration of exogenous melatonin | decrease | antipsychotic-induced adverse metabolic effects (AMEs) | - | - | may mitigate or even prevent | #5 |
Antipsychotic drugs are efficacious first-line treatments for many individuals diagnosed with a psychiatric illness. However, their adverse metabolic side-effect profile, which resembles the metabolic syndrome, represents a significant clinical problem that increases morbidity and limits treatment adherence. Moreover, the mechanisms involved in antipsychotic-induced adverse metabolic effects (AMEs) are unknown and mitigating strategies and interventions are limited. However, recent clinical trials show that nightly administration of exogenous melatonin may mitigate or even prevent antipsychotic-induced AMEs. This clinical evidence in combination with recent preclinical data implicate the circadian system in antipsychotic-induced AMEs and their mitigation. In this chapter, we provide an overview on the circadian system and its involvement in antipsychotic-induced AMEs, as well as the potential beneficial effect of nightly melatonin administration to mitigate them.