Evidence map›Paper›PMID 23691095›Full record

SynthesisPloS one2013

Meta-analysis: melatonin for the treatment of primary sleep disorders.

Eduardo Ferracioli-Oda, Ahmad Qawasmi, Michael H Bloch

Open access · goldAbstract readMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in PloS one, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 172 papers, 15 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
172citing papers in PubMed, 15 pooled it
26.3field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

172 citing papers in PubMed, 15 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 459 citations in OpenAlex.

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  6. The Effects of the Exogenous Melatonin on Shift Work Sleep Disorder in Health Personnel: A Systematic Review.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022
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  13. Exogenous melatonin for sleep disorders in neurodegenerative diseases: a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2016
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112 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Eduardo Ferracioli-OdaUniversity of São Paulo Medical School, São Paulo, Brazil. oda.edu@gmail.com
Ahmad Qawasmi
Michael H Bloch
Yale University · USUniversidade de São Paulo · BR

Funding

YALE UNIVERSITY CLINICAL AND TRANSLATIONAL SCIENCE AWARD PROGRAMUL1RR024139 · NCRR · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI SHERWIN, ROBERT S · 2006 to 2011
$56.8M
Longitudinal Structural MRI Study of Adulthood Outcome in Tourette SyndromeK23MH091240 · NIMH · YALE UNIVERSITY · PI BLOCH, MICHAEL H · 2010 to 2014
$902k
NCRR NIH HHS UL1 RR024139NIMH NIH HHS 1K23MH091240-01NIMH NIH HHS K23 MH091240
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

STUDY

objectivesTo investigate the efficacy of melatonin compared to placebo in improving sleep parameters in patients with primary sleep disorders.

designPubMed was searched for randomized, placebo-controlled trials examining the effects of melatonin for the treatment of primary sleep disorders. Primary outcomes examined were improvement in sleep latency, sleep quality and total sleep time. Meta-regression was performed to examine the influence of dose and duration of melatonin on reported efficacy.

participantsAdults and children diagnosed with primary sleep disorders.

interventionsMelatonin compared to placebo.

resultsNineteen studies involving 1683 subjects were included in this meta-analysis. Melatonin demonstrated significant efficacy in reducing sleep latency (weighted mean difference (WMD) = 7.06 minutes [95% CI 4.37 to 9.75], Z = 5.15, p<0.001) and increasing total sleep time (WMD = 8.25 minutes [95% CI 1.74 to 14.75], Z = 2.48, p = 0.013). Trials with longer duration and using higher doses of melatonin demonstrated greater effects on decreasing sleep latency and increasing total sleep time. Overall sleep quality was significantly improved in subjects taking melatonin (standardized mean difference = 0.22 [95% CI: 0.12 to 0.32], Z = 4.52, p<0.001) compared to placebo. No significant effects of trial duration and melatonin dose were observed on sleep quality.

conclusionThis meta-analysis demonstrates that melatonin decreases sleep onset latency, increases total sleep time and improves overall sleep quality. The effects of melatonin on sleep are modest but do not appear to dissipate with continued melatonin use. Although the absolute benefit of melatonin compared to placebo is smaller than other pharmacological treatments for insomnia, melatonin may have a role in the treatment of insomnia given its relatively benign side-effect profile compared to these agents.

Indexed as

HumansMelatoninPubMedRegression AnalysisSleep Wake DisordersTime FactorsTreatment OutcomeMelatonin

Identifiers

PMID23691095
PMCPMC3656905
OpenAlexW2094472729

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.