Melatonin modulates daytime‐dependent synaptic plasticity and learning efficiency

Melatonin treatment at nighttime significantly improved working memory performance in melatonin-deficient mice during the daytime.

• Hippocampus-related memory formation in mice is influenced by the time of day.
• Wildtype (WT) mice showed better spatial learning efficiency during the daytime compared to nighttime.
• Melatonin receptors were found on hippocampal neurons, indicating a role in memory signaling.
• Temporal patterns of clock gene protein levels were altered in melatonin receptor-knockout mice compared to WT mice.
• Long-term potentiation (LTP) during the day was absent in melatonin receptor-knockout mice and in WT mice lacking sympathetic innervation of the pineal gland.

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