McCluskey, D R · Ciba Foundation symposium · 1993 · DOI
This study examined various medications used to treat ME/CFS and found that none completely resolved symptoms. The researchers suggest that ME/CFS may be caused by a sleep regulation problem in the brain, which leads to not only extreme tiredness but also pain sensitivity, temperature control issues, and mood problems. They propose that medications affecting brain chemicals, especially serotonin, might help and should be tested in larger clinical trials.
This study identifies a potential unifying mechanism (sleep dysregulation) that could explain multiple ME/CFS symptoms affecting different body systems. By suggesting specific neurochemical targets for treatment, it provides a framework for future drug development and clinical testing that could improve outcomes for patients unresponsive to current therapies.
This study does not prove that sleep dysregulation is the definitive cause of ME/CFS—it is a hypothesis based on clinical observation. It does not establish efficacy of any particular medication, as no new drugs were tested here. The retrospective design and lack of controlled trials mean causal relationships cannot be confirmed.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
McCluskey, D R (1993). Pharmacological approaches to the therapy of chronic fatigue syndrome.. Ciba Foundation symposium. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470514382.ch16
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-mccluskey-1993-pharmacological-approaches,
author = {McCluskey, D R},
title = {Pharmacological approaches to the therapy of chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Ciba Foundation symposium},
year = {1993},
doi = {10.1002/9780470514382.ch16},
note = {PubMed: 8491103},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/mccluskey-1993-pharmacological-approaches},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/mccluskey-1993-pharmacological-approaches
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