Abstract
Medical Outcome Study Short Form-36 (MOS SF-36) qualities of life scores were studied in 38 chronic fatigue patients with late melatonin onset before and after treatment with melatonin. Before start of the treatment, quality of life was assessed twice. Pre-treatment scores were compared with each other and with the scores of 43 patients with Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome and of 1063 healthy subjects. Melatonin, 5 mg, was taken orally, 5 hours before baseline salivary endogenous dim light melatonin onset.
After mean (SD) treatment of 13.7 (0.8) weeks, quality of life scores “physical functioning,” “energy/vitality,” “bodily pain,” and “general health perception” improved (p values, respectively, 0.017, 0.002, 0.002 and 0.009). In the pre-treatment period (mean [SD] interval: 6.5 [0.6] weeks) “social functioning” and “general health perception” improved (p = 0.013 and 0.010, respectively).
In the chronic fatigue patients the quality of life scores did not differ from those of the Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome patients, except for “physical functioning,” “energy/vitality” and “general health perception.” These were significantly lower. All chronic fatigue patients's scores were significantly lower than those of the healthy subjects except for “health transition.”
Chronic fatigue patients with late melatonin onset have a significant quality-of-life burden, similar to Delayed Sleep Phase Syndrome patients. Several quality of life dimensions improved after treatment with melatonin.