Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
6801149 | Journal of Psychiatric Research | 2014 | 8 Pages |
Abstract
We aimed to determine the efficacy of melatonin 3Â mg/day in prevention of olanzapine-induced metabolic side-effects. In a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study, 48 patients with first-episode schizophrenia who were eligible for olanzapine treatment, were randomly assigned to olanzapine plus either melatonin 3Â mg/day or matched placebo for eight weeks. Anthropometric and metabolic parameters as well as psychiatric symptoms using The Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) were assessed at baseline, week 4, and 8. Primary outcome measure was the change from baseline in weight at week 8. Data were analyzed using t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and mixed-effects model. Thirty-six patients had at least one post-baseline measurement. At week eight, melatonin was associated with significantly less weight gain [mean difference (MD)Â =Â 3.2Â kg, PÂ =Â 0.023], increase in waist circumference [MDÂ =Â 2.83Â cm, PÂ =Â 0.041] and triglyceride concentration [MDÂ =Â 62Â mg/dl, PÂ =Â 0.090 (nearly significant)] than the placebo. Changes in cholesterol, insulin, and blood sugar concentrations did not differ significantly between the two groups. Patients in the melatonin group experienced significantly more reduction in their PANSS scores [MDÂ =Â 12.9 points, PÂ =Â 0.014] than the placebo group. No serious adverse events were reported. To summarize, in patients treated with olanzapine, short-term melatonin treatment attenuates weight gain, abdominal obesity, and hypertriglyceridemia. It might also provide additional benefit for treatment of psychosis. The study was registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov (Registration number: NCT01593774).
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Authors
Amirhossein Modabbernia, Parvaneh Heidari, Robabeh Soleimani, Abdolrasoul Sobhani, Zahra Atrkar Roshan, Shervin Taslimi, Mandana Ashrafi, Mohammad Jafar Modabbernia,