Can melatonin help ICU patients snap out of delirium?
NCT ID NCT03438526
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study tests whether giving melatonin at bedtime can help older ICU patients (55+) recover faster from hypoactive delirium, a state of confusion and low activity. Researchers will compare melatonin to a placebo in 190 patients, measuring how long delirium lasts and overall recovery. The goal is to restore normal sleep-wake cycles and improve outcomes.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Melatonin
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this could provide a simple, safe way to reduce delirium duration and improve recovery in older ICU patients.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-phase trial with 190 participants. Melatonin may not outperform placebo, and results may not apply to all ICU patients.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Phase 4
Runs after approval, following long-term safety and how well the treatment works in everyday use.
- Participants
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About 190 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2022
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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55 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: Participants fulfilling all of the following inclusion criteria are eligible for the study: * Adult patients (aged 55 years or older) * Current delirium (hypoactive type) detected by a specialised assessment method: ICDSC score \>2 and RASS score \< 0 Exclusion Criteria: Participants meeting the following criteria are excluded from the study: * Delirium prior to ICU admission * Sleep disorder not caused by hypoactive delirium * Sedation in the ICU * Hypersensitivity to the studied substances (i.e., melatonin, placebo content) * Age \<55 years * Terminal state * Status epilepticus or postictal states following seizures on electroencephalogram (EEG) * Active psychosis * Substance abuse in current medical history * Dementia * Pregnancy
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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University Hospital Basel
RECRUITINGBasel, 4031, Switzerland
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