Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are neurodevelopmental disorders with disturbed melatonin secretion profile and sleep problems. The growing incidence of ASD and ADHD inspires scientists to research the underlying causes of these conditions. The authors focused on two fundamental aspects, the first one being the presentation of the role of melatonin in ASD and ADHD and the second of the influence of melatonin treatment on sleep disorders. The authors present the use of melatonin both in the context of causal and symptomatic treatment and discuss melatonin supplementation: Dosage patterns, effectiveness, and safety. Sleep disorders may have a different clinical picture, so the assessment of exogenous melatonin efficacy should also refer to a specific group of symptoms. The review draws attention to the wide range of doses of melatonin used in supplementation and the need to introduce unified standards especially in the group of pediatric patients.

Epilepsy is among the most prevalent neurological disorders in children, yet its diagnosis remains largely subjective and reliant on clinician expertise. This highlights the need for objective, minimally invasive biomarkers to support early diagnosis and predict drug resistance. Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) in whole blood present a promising avenue as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for pediatric epilepsy. This study explores the relationship between selected miRNA expression levels and clinical characteristics in children with epilepsy. A literature review identified five miRNAs with high potential as biomarkers for drug-resistant epilepsy based on studies of the adult population. Quantitative RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) assays were employed to measure miRNA levels in whole blood and assess correlations with clinical characteristics. This pilot study, conducted from June to December 2023, analyzed 109 of the 115 collected blood samples. Correlation analysis revealed significant relationships between miR-142-3p, miR-194-5p, and miR-342-5p expression levels with sex, miR-142-3p and miR-342-5p expression levels with the age of seizure onset, and miR-342-5p with family history. Additionally, miR-233-3p expression showed a statistically significant correlation with EEG abnormalities. The analysis did not demonstrate the potential of the selected miRNAs as valuable biomarkers. Differences in epilepsy etiology between pediatric and adult populations, along with age and disease duration-dependent miRNA expression, suggest that adult-based findings may not be directly applicable to children. Further research in pediatric cohorts is essential to establish miRNAs as reliable biomarkers for pediatric epilepsy diagnosis and prognosis.

Introduction: Epilepsy is one of the most common and devastating neurological diseases in pediatric patients This has led researchers to search for the molecular basis of the disease and to try to find a targeted treatment, which is an extremely difficult challenge due to the complexity of the etiopathogenesis of epilepsy. An alternative research option is focused on the search for biomarkers. miRNAs are small non-coding RNAs, 18-25 nucleotides long, which negatively regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by inhibiting protein translation or mRNA degradation. The aim of the study was to analyze the available literature focusing on the evaluation of changes in the expression profile of selected miRNAs in children with epilepsy. Materials and methods: The literature review was conducted in accordance with PRISMA Statement (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses). The search covered the period from September 1, 2010 to December 1, 2022. Results: 17 publications were included in the analysis. A growing trend of interest in the topic of miRNA use in epilepsy is evident, with most papers published in the last 5 years. Twenty-six different miRNAs were analyzed by PCR. The authors summarized articles assessing different miRNAs as potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers of epilepsy using a ROC curve. Conclusions: The number of studies investigating miRNAs as potential prognostic and diagnostic biomarkers for epilepsy is growing rapidly. However, the results of these studies need to be verified in independent cohorts also including children with epilepsy. Keywords: epilepsy microRNA miRNA biomarker