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Melatonin in aging and neurodegeneration
Author(s) -
Savaskan Egemen
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
drug development research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.582
H-Index - 60
eISSN - 1098-2299
pISSN - 0272-4391
DOI - 10.1002/ddr.10104
Subject(s) - melatonin , neurodegeneration , neuroprotection , circadian rhythm , neuroscience , dark therapy , neuromodulation , pineal gland , parkinson's disease , disease , medicine , endocrinology , biology , central nervous system
Melatonin, a hormone secreted during darkness, plays a key role in various physiological responses including regulation of circadian rhythms, sleep homeostasis, retinal neuromodulation, and vasoactivity. Its neuroprotective properties, as well as regulatory effects on circadian disturbances, revalorize melatonin's benefits as a therapeutic substance in symptomatic treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, especially Alzheimer's disease (AD) with its complex neuropathological changes and clinical symptoms related to circadian rhythm alterations. This brief review summarizes the current state of melatonin research with emphasis on its neuroprotective role in neurodegeneration, particularly with regard to melatonin's putative effects in the disease process of AD. Drug Dev. Res. 56:482–490, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.