Journal of neurotrauma
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Journal of neurotrauma · Feb 2019
Meta AnalysisMelatonin as a treatment after Traumatic Brain Injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis of the pre-clinical and clinical literature.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is common; however, effective treatments of the secondary brain injury are scarce. Melatonin is a potent, nonselective neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory agent that is showing promising results in neonatal brain injury. The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the pre-clinical and clinical literature on the effectiveness of melatonin in improving outcome after TBI. ⋯ Only two clinical studies were identified. They were of low quality, were used for symptom management, and were of uncertain significance. In conclusion, there is evidence that melatonin treatment after TBI significantly improves both behavioral outcomes and pathological outcomes; however, significant research gaps exist, especially in clinical populations.