Prevalence of pineal gland calcification: systematic review and meta-analysis

source extracted confidence: high 2026-04-09
#adult #humans #child #male #cross-sectional-studies

Prevalence of pineal gland calcification: systematic review and meta-analysis

Belay et al., 2023 | Syst Rev | Meta Analysis

Citation

Belay Daniel Gashaneh, Worku Misganaw Gebrie. Prevalence of pineal gland calcification: systematic review and meta-analysis. Syst Rev. 2023-Mar-06;12(1):32. doi:10.1186/s13643-023-02205-5

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Pineal gland calcification is the formation of corpora arenacea predominantly composed of calcium and phosphorus. It plays an important role in regulating the light/dark circadian changes to synchronize their daily physiological activities like feeding, metabolism, reproduction, and sleep through the secretion of melatonin. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the pooled prevalence of pineal gland calcification. METHODS: A systematic review was done using published research articles from different electronic databases. Cross-sectional studies were included for systematic review and only studies conducted on the human population were included for quantitative analysis. Published articles were selected by assessing the title and abstract for relevance to the review objectives. Finally, the full text was retrieved for further assessment. RESULTS: The pooled prevalence of pineal gland calcification was 61.65% [95% CI: 52.81, 70.49], with a heterogeneity of I2 = 97.7%, P ≤ 0.001. According to the qualitative analysis, an increase in age, male sex, and white ethnicity are the major socio-demographic characteristics that increase the prevalence of pineal gland calcification. CONCLUSION: The pooled prevalence of pineal gland calcification was higher compared with reports from previous studies. Different studies reported pineal gland calcification was most prevalent in the adult population compared with the pediatric age groups. According to the qualitative analysis, an increase in age, male sex, and white ethnicity are the major socio-demographic characteristics that increase the prevalence of pineal gland calcification.

Key Findings

The pooled prevalence of pineal gland calcification was 61.65% [95% CI: 52.81, 70.49], with a heterogeneity of I2 = 97.7%, P ≤ 0.001. According to the qualitative analysis, an increase in age, male sex, and white ethnicity are the major socio-demographic characteristics that increase the prevalence of pineal gland calcification.

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition sleep

MeSH Terms

  • Adult
  • Humans
  • Child
  • Male
  • Cross-Sectional Studies
  • Pineal Gland
  • Prevalence
  • Calcium
  • Databases, Factual

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Meta-Analysis, Systematic Review, Journal Article
  • Vertical: melatonin

Provenance

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09