Melatonin, a hormone produced by the pineal gland in response to darkness (Posadzki et al., 2018). It is a dietary supplement and without prescription in many countries for managing insomnia and depression. A review pointed out that melatonin with beneficial effects including anti-tumor activity, cardio-protective and neuroprotective effects, and immunity enhancement (Posadzki et al., 2018). However, insomnia is common in older adults and it will affect their cognitive functions (Cricco et al., 2001), supplementation of melatonin on older adults may have a beneficial effect on the cognitive function of older adults. This proposed systematic review (SR) aims to critically evaluate the best current evidence on the effects of melatonin supplementation on cognitive functions of older adults. A three-step approach will be adopted to search all studies in English language. Electronic databases (MEDLINE, CINAHL, PubMed, and PsyInfo), and ClinicalTrial.gov will be searched from inception of the databases to 30 July 2024 to identify the potential studies. Two reviewers will review the studies independently and select those to be included based on the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The methodological quality of the studies will be assessed and extracted by two reviewers independently. Any disagreement will be solved by the third reviewer. A meta-analysis will be conducted by pooling the quantitative data. If not possible, the results will be presented in a narrative format. This protocol provides the methods and steps to conduct a SR on the effectiveness of melatonin supplementation on the cognitive functions of older adults.

Authors:
Yuen Ling Leung, Hong Kong Metropolitan University, Hong Kong

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Yuen Ling Leung is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at Hong Kong Metropolitan University in Hong Kong

See this presentation on the full schedule – Tuesday Schedule

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