Pilot study to investigate if reducing serotonin levels in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome is effective.

The effect of acute tryptophan depletion in chronic fatigue syndrome, a pilot study.

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN07518149

Enrollment

Registered

2013-04-23

Start date

2011-06-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2016-10-17

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Pathophysiology of chronic fatigue syndrome Nervous System Diseases Postviral fatigue syndrome

Interventions

Acute Tryptophan Depletion (ATD) is a reliable and reversible challenge test for serotonin. It has widely used to investigate the role of serotonin in a variety of psychiatric disorders. ATD is a meth

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

Female

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Female CFS-patients, according to CDC criteria 2. Aged 18 - 40 years 3. Written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Nursing or pregnant women 2. Current psychiatric comorbidity 3. Vegetarians 4. Use of psychotropic drugs: current or previous month 5. Current or previous engagement in CFS research

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
1. Fatigue severity 2. Concentration 3. Mood	—

Secondary

Measure	Time frame
No secondary outcome measures	—

Countries

Netherlands

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Mar 19, 2026