Melatonin secretion across puberty: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Level 3 - non-randomized controlled study
Systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies.
PubMed 39823958 · doi:10.1016/j.psyneuen.2025.107281
What was done
Authors conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis searching Medline and Embase from 1974 to November 2024, supplemented by backward reference searching. They included studies evaluating serum melatonin concentrations relative to chronological age and Tanner pubertal stages in healthy children and adolescents.
What was found
Across 21 included studies, qualitative reporting was mixed: 12 studies found a decrease, 5 found no difference, 3 found an increase in melatonin levels during pubertal advancement, and 1 contributed data without reporting directional secretory changes directly. The meta-analysis revealed that advancing Tanner stages were significantly associated with decreasing average and peak serum melatonin concentrations. Exact effect estimates and confidence intervals were not reported in the abstract.
Why it matters
This review aggregates 50 years of human studies to clarify that pubertal progression tracks with a decline in circulating melatonin, providing a baseline for interpreting neuroendocrine alterations in developmental disorders.
Limits
The abstract does not provide exact meta-analytic effect sizes, confidence intervals, or total participant numbers. Chronological aging confounds pubertal progression, and potential drivers such as light exposure, physical growth, and sex steroid dynamics were not isolated under controlled experimental conditions.
Cited by
- supports Melatonin helps keep puberty at bay, and changes in melatonin secretion patterns correlate with the onset of puberty.