Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of pharmacological daytime doses of melatonin on human mood and performance

  • Original Investigations
  • Published:
Psychopharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Melatonin (10, 20, 40, or 80 mg, PO) or placebo was administered at 1145 hours on five separate occasions to 20 healthy male volunteers and the effects on serum melatonin levels, mood, performance, and oral temperature were monitored. Subjects were studied between 0930 and 1700 hours. A battery of interactive computer tasks designed to assess performance and mood was completed, oral temperature was measured, and blood samples were taken for serum melatonin radioimmunoassay. The areas under the time-melatonin concentration curve (AUC) varied significantly in proportion to the various melatonin doses. Compared with placebo treatment, all melatonin doses significantly decreased oral temperature, number of correct responses in auditory vigilance, response latency in reaction time, and self-reported vigor. Melatonin also increased self-reported fatigue, confusion, and sleepiness.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arendt J, Broadway J (1987) Light and melatonin as zeitgebers in man. Chronobiol Int 4:273–282

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Arendt J, Borbely AA, Franey C, Wright J (1984) The effect of chronic, small doses of melatonin given in the late afternoon on fatigue in man: a preliminary study. Neurosci Lett 45:317–321

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Arendt J, Aldhous M, Marks V (1986) Alleviation of jet-lag by melatonin: preliminary results of controlled double-blind trial. Br Med J 292:1170

    Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong SM, Cassone VM, Chesworth MJ, Redman JR, Short, RV (1986) Synchronization of mammalian circadian rhythms by melatonin. In: Wurtman RJ, Waldhauser F (eds) Melatonin in humans. Proceedings of the First International Conference on Melatonin in Humans. J Neurol Transm 21(suppl):375–394

    Google Scholar 

  • Banderet LE, Lieberman HR (1989) Treatment with tyrosine, a neurotransmitter precursor, reduces environmental stress in humans. Brain Res Bull 22:759–762

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Brown GM, Grota LJ, Pulido O, Burns TG, Niles LP, Snieckus V (1983) Application of immunologic techniques to the study of pineal indoleamines. Pineal Res Rev 1:207–246

    Google Scholar 

  • Brzezinski A, Seibel MM, Lynch HJ, Deng MH, Wurtman RJ (1987) Melatonin in preovulatory follicular fluid. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 64:865–867

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cagnacci A, Elliott JA, Yen SSC (1992) Melatonin: a major regulator of the circadian rhythm of core temperature in humans. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 75:447–452

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Claustrat B, Brun J, David M, Sassolas G, Chazot G (1992) Melatonin and jet lag: confirmatory result using a simplified protocol. Biol Psychiatry 32:705–711

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dollins AB, Lynch HJ, Wurtman RJ, Deng MH, Lieberman HR (1993) Effects of illumination on human nocturnal serum melatonin levels and performance. Physol Behav 53:153–160

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hamilton M (1967) Development of a rating scale for primary depressive illness. Br J Soc Clin Psychol 6:278–296

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hindmarch I (1980) Psychomotor function and psychoactive drugs. Br J Clin Pharmacol 10:189–209

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hoddes E, Dement W, Zarcone V (1973) Quantification of sleepiness: a new approach. Psychophysiology 10:431–436

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • James SP, Mendelson WB, Sack DA, Rosenthal NE, Wehr TA (1987) The effect of melatonin on normal sleep. Neuropsychopharmacology 1:41–44

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • James SP, Sack DA, Rosenthal NE, Mendelson WB (1990) Melatonin administration in insomnia. Neuropsychopharmacology 3:19–23

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Johanson CE, Uhlenhuth EH (1980) Drug preference and mood in humans: diazepam. Psychopharmacology 71:269–273

    Google Scholar 

  • Johnson LC, Chernick DA (1982) Sedative-hypnotics and human performance. Psychopharmacology 76:101–113

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jones DM, Smith AP, Broadbent DE (1979) Effects of moderate intensity noise on the Bakan vigilance task. J Appl Psychol 64:627–634

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Joy JE, Losee-Olson S, Turek FW (1989) Single injections of triazolam, a short-acting benzodiazepine, lengthen the period of the circadian activity rhythm in golden hamsters. Experientia 45:152–154

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lewy AJ, Sack RL, Latham JM (1991) Melatonin and the acute suppressant effect of light may help regulate circadian rhythms in humans. Adv Pineal Res 5:285–193

    Google Scholar 

  • Lewy AJ, Ahmed S, Jackson JML, Sack RL (1992) Melatonin shifts human circadian rhythms according to a phase-response curve. Chronobiol Int 9:380–392

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lieberman HR, Corkin S, Spring BJ, Growdon JH, Wurtman RJ (1984a) Mood, performance and pain sensitivity: changes induced by food constituents. J Psychiatr Res 17:135–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lieberman HR, Waldhauser F, Garfield G, Lynch HJ, Wurtman RJ (1984b) Effects of melatonin on human mood and performance. Brain Res 323:201–207

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lieberman HR, Garfield GS, Waldhauser F, Lynch HJ, Wurtman RJ (1985) Possible behavioral consequences of light-induced changes in melatonin availability. In: Wurtman RJ, Baum MJ, Potts JT Jr (eds) The medical and biological effects of light. Ann NY Acad Sci 453:242–252

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lieberman HR, Wurtman JJ, Chew B (1986) Changes in mood after carbohydrate consumption may influence snack choices of obese individuals. Am J Clin Nutr 44:772–778

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lieberman HR, Wurtman RJ, Emde GG, Roberts C, Coviella ILG (1987) The effects of low doses of caffeine on human mood and performance. Psychopharmacology 92:308–312

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • MacFarlane JG, Cleghorn JM, Brown GM, Streiner DL (1991) The effects of exogenous melatonin on the total sleep time and daytime alertness of chronic insomniacs: a preliminary study. Biol Psychiatry 30:371–376

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McNair PM, Lorr M, Droppleman LF (1971) Profile of mood states manual. Educational and Industrial Testing Service, San Diego

    Google Scholar 

  • Morton DJ, Naik D (1989) Effect of oral melatonin at various dose levels on blood pressure of normotensive humans. Med Sci Res 17:837

    Google Scholar 

  • Nickelsen T, Demisch L, Demisch K, Radermacher B, Schoffling K (1989) Influence of subchronic intake of melatonin at various times of the day on fatigue and hormonal levels: a placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. J Pineal Res 6:325–334

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nicholson AN, Pascoe PA, Spencer MB, Stone BM, Roehrs T, Roth T (1986) Sleep after transmeridian flights. Lancet 8517:1205–1208

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Petrie K, Conaglen JV, Thompson L, Chamberlain K (1989) Effect of melatonin on jet lag after long haul flights. BMJ 298:705–707

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Reiter RJ (1988) Neuroendocrinology of melatonin. In: Miles A, Philbrick DRS, Thompson C (eds) Melatonin clinical perspectives. Oxford University Press, Oxford New York Tokyo, pp 1–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Reiter RJ (1991) Melatonin: the chemical expression of darkness. Mol Cell Endocrinol 79:C153-C158

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Rosenthal NE, Genhart M, Sack DA, Skewer RG, Wehr TA (1987) Seasonal affective disorder and its relevance for the understanding and treatment of bulimia. In: Hudson JI, Pope HG Jr (eds) The psychobiology of bulimia. American Psychiatric Press, Washington DC, pp 205–228

    Google Scholar 

  • Sack RL, Lewy AJ, Blood ML, Stevenson J, Keith LD (1991) Melatonin administration to blind people: phase advances and entrainment. J Biol Rhythms 6:249–261

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smith A (1967) Consistent sex differences in a specific (decoding) test performance. Ed Psychol Meas 27:1077–1083

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith AP, Tyrrell DAJ, Al-Nakib W, Coyle KB, Donovan CB, Higgins PG, Willman JS (1987) Effects of experimentally induced respiratory virus infections and illness on psychomotor performance. Neuropsychobiology 18:144–148

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Van Reeth O, Turek FW (1989) Administrering triazolam on a circadian basis entrains the activity rhythm of hamsters. Am J Physiol 256:R639-R645

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vollrath L, Semm P, Gammel G (1981) Sleep induction by intranasal application of melatonin. Adv Biosci 29:327–329

    Google Scholar 

  • Waldhauser F, Weiszenhacher G, Frisch H, Zeitlhuber U, Waldhauser M, Wurtman RJ (1984) Fall in nocturnal serum melatonin during prepuberty and pubescence. Lancet 1:362–365

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Waldhauser F, Saletu B, Trinchard-Lugan, I (1990) Sleep laboratory investigations of hypnotic properties of melatonin. Psychopharmacology 100:222–226

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson RT (1968) Sleep deprivation: performance tests for partial and selective sleep deprivation. In: Reiss BF, Abt LA (eds) Progress in clinical psychology. Grune & Stratton, New York, pp 28–43

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson RT (1969) Some factors influencing the effect of environmental stressors on performance. Psychol Bull 72:260–272

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wilkinson RT, Houghton D (1975) Portable four-choice reaction time test with magnetic tape memory. Behav Res Methods Instrum 7:441–446

    Google Scholar 

  • Winer, BJ (1971) Statistical principles in experimental design, 2nd edn. McGraw-Hill, New York, pp 384–388

    Google Scholar 

  • Wurtman RJ, Axelrod J, Kelly DE (1968) The pineal. Academic Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. Andrew B. Dollins

    Present address: DoD Polygraph Institute, Building 3195, Ft., 36205, McClellan, AL, USA

  2. Harris R. Lieberman

    Present address: Military Performance and Neuroscience Division, US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, 01760, Natick, MA, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, and The Clinical Research Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 77 Massachusetts Ave, 02139, Cambridge, MA, USA

    Andrew B. Dollins, Harry J. Lynch, Richard J. Wurtman, Mei Hua Deng, Karl U. Kischka, Ray E. Gleason & Harris R. Lieberman

Authors
  1. Andrew B. Dollins
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Harry J. Lynch
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Richard J. Wurtman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Mei Hua Deng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Karl U. Kischka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ray E. Gleason
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Harris R. Lieberman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dollins, A.B., Lynch, H.J., Wurtman, R.J. et al. Effect of pharmacological daytime doses of melatonin on human mood and performance. Psychopharmacology 112, 490–496 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02244899

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02244899

Key words

Search

Navigation