Monozygotic twins with Alzheimer's disease treated with melatonin: Case report

Brusco LI, Márquez M, Cardinali D.P. Monozygotic twins with Alzheimer's disease treated with melatonin: Case report. J. Pineal Res. 1998; 25:260–263. © Munksgaard, Copenhagen Monozygotic twins with Alzheimer's disease of 8 years duration were studied. The onset of the disease differed by a...

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Published in:Journal of pineal research 1998-12, Vol.25 (4), p.260-263
Main Authors: Brusco, Luis I., Márquez, Miguel, Cardinali, Daniel P.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Aged
Alzheimer Disease - diagnosis
Alzheimer Disease - drug therapy
Alzheimer Disease - genetics
Alzheimer's disease
Antioxidants - therapeutic use
Biological and medical sciences
Brain - pathology
Diseases in Twins
Hormones. Endocrine system
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Medical sciences
Melatonin - therapeutic use
melatonin's antioxidant properties
monozygotic twins
Pharmacology. Drug treatments
sleep disorders -aging
Sleep Wake Disorders - drug therapy
Thioridazine - therapeutic use
Twins, Monozygotic
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Summary:Brusco LI, Márquez M, Cardinali D.P. Monozygotic twins with Alzheimer's disease treated with melatonin: Case report. J. Pineal Res. 1998; 25:260–263. © Munksgaard, Copenhagen Monozygotic twins with Alzheimer's disease of 8 years duration were studied. The onset of the disease differed by about 6 months between twins and was characterized by a primary impairment of memory function. Clinical evaluation at the time of diagnosis indicated a similar cognitive and neuroimaging alteration in both patients, as well as a similar neuropsychologic impairment. A possible genetic origin of the disease was suggested by a similar disease suffered by the mother. Patients were initially treated with vitamin E (800 I.U./day). Starting at approximately the same time (about 3 years ago), they received 50 mg/day thioridazine because of the behavioral and sleep disorder. One of the patients was treated with melatonin (6 mg orally) at bed time daily for 36 months. Evolution of the disease in the melatonin‐treated patient indicated a milder impairment of memory function, with substantial improvement of sleep quality and reduction of sundowning. This led to discontinuance (after 3 months) of thioridazine treatment. Present clinical evaluation indicated a difference in functional stage of the disease between the twins (Functional Assessment Tool For Alzheimer's Disease, FAST), with a score of 5 in the twin who received melatonin and of 7b in the twin who did not receive it. Since experimental data on melatonin in animals indicated its antioxidant, antiapoptotic, and β‐amyloid‐decreasing activity, the hypothesis that melatonin has a beneficial effect in Alzheimer's disease patients should be considered.
ISSN:0742-3098
1600-079X
DOI:10.1111/j.1600-079X.1998.tb00396.x