AGING AND SLEEP--ROLE OF MELATONIN

描述（改编自研究者摘要）：衰老与 睡眠和昼夜节律紊乱。夜间 老年人的褪黑激素水平通常比老年人低得多。 年轻人研究表明，高药理剂量的 褪黑激素产生困倦并减少睡眠潜伏期。拟议 研究将验证老年人睡眠障碍的假设， 可能与夜间褪黑激素分泌不足有关， 恢复循环中有节奏的高幅度变化， 褪黑素可以改善老年人的睡眠质量和数量， 第二天早上情绪或表现下降。老年人（60 - 75岁 男性和女性参与者（N=60），有和无症状 测谎仪确认的失眠症将在四岁以下进行测试 条件（安慰剂、0.1、0.2、0.3 mg褪黑激素）。睡眠质量和 将对数量进行多项评估，沿着以下指标 警觉性、嗜睡、情绪和表现。并行措施 将测量皮质醇和体温。

DESCRIPTION (Adapted from Investigator's Abstract): Aging is associated with disturbances of both sleep and circadian rhythms. Nocturnal melatonin levels in the elderly are often substantially lower than in younger people. Studies have shown that high pharmacological doses of melatonin produce sleepiness and reduce sleep latency. The proposed studies will test the hypothesis that sleep disturbances of the elderly can be related to deficiencies in nocturnal melatonin secretion, and that restoration of rhythmic, high amplitude variations in circulating melatonin can improve sleep quality and quantity in the elderly without diminishing mood or performance the following morning. Elderly (60 -75 years) men and women participants (N=60) with and without symptomatic and polygraphically-confirmed insomnia will be tested under four conditions (placebo, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3 mg melatonin). Sleep quality and quantity will be polygraphically assessed along with measures of alertness, sleepiness, mood and performance. Parallel measures of cortisol and body temperature will be taken.