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Measuring Dim Light Melatonin Onset in Humans

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Melatonin

Part of the book series: Methods in Molecular Biology ((MIMB,volume 2550))

Abstract

The pineal melatonin rhythm provides a robust reference signal for the timing of the endogenous human circadian system. Dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) time is considered a gold-standard marker of the central circadian clock when measured from plasma or saliva. In this chapter, we describe the appropriate conditions for collecting plasma and salivary melatonin and the threshold method to calculate the DLMO.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Sleep and Circadian Disorders, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA

    Melissa A. St. Hilaire & Steven W. Lockley

  2. Division of Sleep Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Melissa A. St. Hilaire & Steven W. Lockley

  3. Surrey Sleep Research Centre, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK

    Steven W. Lockley

Authors
  1. Melissa A. St. Hilaire
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  2. Steven W. Lockley
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Melissa A. St. Hilaire .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Inserm, U1016, Institut Cochin, PARIS, France

    Ralf Jockers

  2. Inserm, U1016, Institut Cochin, PARIS, France

    Erika Cecon

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© 2022 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature

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Cite this protocol

St. Hilaire, M.A., Lockley, S.W. (2022). Measuring Dim Light Melatonin Onset in Humans. In: Jockers, R., Cecon, E. (eds) Melatonin. Methods in Molecular Biology, vol 2550. Humana, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-2593-4_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-2593-4_3

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Humana, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-0716-2592-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-0716-2593-4

  • eBook Packages: Springer Protocols

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