Yatham, L N, Morehouse, R L, Chisholm, B T et al. · Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie · 1995
Researchers tested whether serotonin, a chemical messenger in the brain, might be abnormal in ME/CFS. They gave patients and healthy controls a drug that stimulates serotonin release and measured hormonal responses. The study found no differences between the two groups, suggesting that serotonin dysfunction may not be the primary problem in ME/CFS.
This study addressed whether serotonin abnormalities contribute to ME/CFS, a question relevant to understanding whether antidepressants or serotonin-targeting therapies might help patients. The findings suggested that ME/CFS is neurobiologically distinct from depression, potentially redirecting research toward alternative mechanisms.
This study does not prove that serotonin plays no role in ME/CFS—only that the specific neuroendocrine markers tested (prolactin and cortisol responses to fenfluramine) were not abnormal. Other aspects of serotonin function or other neurotransmitter systems remain unexplored. The small sample size (n=11 per group) limits generalizability.
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
Yatham, L N, Morehouse, R L, Chisholm, B T, Haase, D A, MacDonald, D D, & Marrie, T J (1995). Neuroendocrine assessment of serotonin (5-HT) function in chronic fatigue syndrome.. Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7788624/
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-yatham-1995-neuroendocrine-assessment,
author = {Yatham, L N and Morehouse, R L and Chisholm, B T and Haase, D A and MacDonald, D D and Marrie, T J},
title = {Neuroendocrine assessment of serotonin (5-HT) function in chronic fatigue syndrome.},
journal = {Canadian journal of psychiatry. Revue canadienne de psychiatrie},
year = {1995},
note = {PubMed: 7788624},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/yatham-1995-neuroendocrine-assessment},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-25. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/yatham-1995-neuroendocrine-assessment
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