Medical Hypotheses
Volume 54, Issue 1 , Pages 26-29, January 2000

A preliminary understanding of mania: roles for melatonin, vasotocin and rapid-eye-movement sleep

Department of Pathology, Houston Medical Center, Warner Robins, GA, U.S.A.

Received 25 May 1998; accepted 25 August 1998.

Revised

Abstract 

Speculation about mania links melatonin, vasotocin and rapid-eye-movement (REM) sleep. Normal REM sleep can have the loss of reality testing and this feature intruding into the wake period could be the cause of the distorted reality present in manic delusions. REM sleep has a role in memory formation. Abnormal levels and/or rhythms of melatonin are thought to be involved in mania. Decreased melatonin production with malfunction of REM sleep is proposed to be a cause of sudden infant death syndrome and Alzheimer's disease, because the loss of the antioxidant function of melatonin allows brain injury to occur.

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PII: S0306-9877(98)90812-X

doi:10.1054/mehy.1998.0812

Medical Hypotheses
Volume 54, Issue 1 , Pages 26-29, January 2000

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