Pharmacological and philosophical considerations for the around-the-clock use of scheduled melatonin to promote sedation and reduce aggression in individuals with serious mental illness: a case report

Abstract

Melatonin, the endogenous hormone that helps maintain circadian rhythm, has been used exogenously for both primary and secondary sleep disorders. While the effects of melatonin given prior to planned sleep and to restore normal circadian sleep phases have been well studied, there is little information on the use of melatonin as a pharmacotherapeutic intervention for around-the-clock sedation to prevent agitation and aggressive patient behaviors. This is the first case report to our knowledge of melatonin used throughout the day, as a scheduled dose for prolonged treatment duration, to reduce aggression in a patient with severe mental illness.

Disclosing common biological signatures and predicting new therapeutic targets in schizophrenia and obsessive–compulsive disorder by integrated bioinformatics analysis

“…clozapine, risperidone and quetiapine), decreased the total Yale Brown Obsessive–Compulsive Scale scores (Y-BOCS, P = 0.001) and Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale scores (PANSS, P = 0.03) [ 110 ]. Melatonin, the endogenous hormone that regulates circadian rhythms, is used exogenously for the treatment of sleep disorders [ 111 ]. Available evidence has suggested that melatonin is linked to SCZ.…”