Papers of the Week

The devastating chronic central post stroke pain is associated with variety of comorbidities. Disrupted sleep is a severe comorbidity, causing an increase in the suicide rate, due to CPSP's pain symptom. Melatonin is a well-known jet-lag compound, which helps in entrainment of sleep cycle. Accordingly, whether melatonin as a therapeutic measurement for the regulation of sleep disturbance related to central post stroke pain remains unclear. Exogenous melatonin administration entrained the disrupted 24hr circadian cycle, more effectively after 2w and 3w of administration. The effect of melatonin was persisted on 4th week too, when melatonin administration was discontinued. Also, melatonin ameliorated the pain due to distorted sleep-activity behavior after melatonin administration for 3 weeks. The low levels of melatonin in blood plasma due to CPSP were restored after 3 weeks of melatonin administration. After 30 mg/kg melatonin administrations for 3weeks, all the disrupted resting and activity behaviors were reduced during light and dark periods. The results suggested that melatonin significantly ameliorated CPSP's pain symptoms and comorbid sleep disturbance showing in activity behavior.