Circadian rhythm abnormalities in adrenoleukodystrophy and methyl B12 treatment.

A 13-year-old male with adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) developed a sleep-wake disorder after complete vision loss. He had a 25-h sleep-wake cycle. After methyl B12 therapy, circadian rhythms in his plasma melatonin and beta-endorphin levels approximated those of healthy volunteers, and his peak cortisol time shifted backward. Daily deep body temperature (DBT) amplitude was smaller than in healthy males before and after the treatment, and his acrophase did not change. However, his sleep-wake rhythm became normal. Methyl B12 is considered useful for treating circadian rhythm disturbances in patients having central nervous system disorders and blindness.