Lieberman H R
J Neural Transm Suppl. 1986;21:233-41.
The focus of most behavioral studies on melatonin relate to sleep, arousal levels and circadian rhythms of alertness. It has also been suggested that melatonin administration can reduce anxiety (Golus and King, 1981), affect learning (Datta and King, 1980), and exacerbate symptoms in patients suffering from severe depression (Carman et al., 1976). For a variety of reasons the effects of exogenous melatonin on sleep and circadian rhythms seem most likely to reflect the actual physiological functions of the endogenous hormone; however, definitive relationships between melatonin secretion and these effects have not yet been established. Administration of melatonin to humans in pharmacologic doses produces acute hypnotic-like effects (Vollrath et al., 1981; Lieberman et al., 1984). Available evidence suggests that melatonin may participate in the physiological regulation of sleep, particularly in determining the phase of circadian rhythms of sleep and sleepiness (Redman et al., 1983; Wurtman and Lieberman, 1985).
大多数关于褪黑素的行为学研究重点都与睡眠、觉醒水平以及警觉性的昼夜节律有关。也有人提出，服用褪黑素可以减轻焦虑（戈卢斯和金，1981年），影响学习（达塔和金，1980年），并加重重度抑郁症患者的症状（卡曼等人，1976年）。由于多种原因，外源性褪黑素对睡眠和昼夜节律的影响似乎最有可能反映内源性激素的实际生理功能；然而，褪黑素分泌与这些影响之间的确切关系尚未确立。给人类服用药理剂量的褪黑素会产生急性催眠样效果（沃尔拉特等人，1981年；利伯曼等人，1984年）。现有证据表明，褪黑素可能参与睡眠的生理调节，尤其是在确定睡眠和困倦的昼夜节律阶段方面（雷德曼等人，1983年；伍特曼和利伯曼，1985年）。
