Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28680916›Full record

ArticleNeurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation2017

Lipoic acid in secondary progressive MS: A randomized controlled pilot trial.

Rebecca Spain, Katherine Powers, Charles Murchison, Elizabeth Heriza, Kimberly Winges, Vijayshree Yadav, Michelle Cameron, Ed Kim, Fay Horak, Jack Simon and 1 more

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Neurology(R) neuroimmunology & neuroinflammation, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT01188811 (Lipoic Acid for Neuroprotection in Secondary Progressive MS), which is not on this map. Cited by 76 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
76citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
9.9field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT01188811 phase2 / phase3completednot on this map

Lipoic Acid for Neuroprotection in Secondary Progressive MS

TypeinterventionalSponsorVA Office of Research and DevelopmentRan2010 to 2015Enrolled54ConditionsMultiple Sclerosis, Chronic ProgressiveArmslipoic acid, Placebo
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

76 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 137 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Role of lipoic acid in multiple sclerosis.CNS neuroscience & therapeutics · 2022
    Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Trial
  5. Trial
  6. Trial
  7. Trial
  8. Trial
  9. Trial
  10. Article
  11. Review
  12. Article
  13. Repair mechanisms of the central nervous system: From axon sprouting to remyelination.Neurotherapeutics : the journal of the American Society for Experimental NeuroTherapeutics · 2025
    Review
  14. Review
  15. Kynurenines and Mitochondrial Disturbances in Multiple Sclerosis.International journal of molecular sciences · 2025
    Review
  16. Review
  17. Alpha-Lipoic Acid: Biological Mechanisms and Health Benefits.Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland) · 2024
    Review
  18. Review
  19. Article
  20. The neuropathobiology of multiple sclerosis.Nature reviews. Neuroscience · 2024
    Review

16 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Rebecca SpainNeurology Division (R.S., V.Y., M.C., E.K., D.B.), Research Service (K.P., E.H.), and Department of Ophthalmology (K.W.), Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, OR; and Department of Neurology (R.S., C.M., K.W., V.Y., E.K., F.H., J.S., D.B.), Advanced Imaging Research Center (K.P.), and Casey Eye Institute (K.W.), Oregon Health & Science University, Portland.
Katherine PowersNeurology Division (R.S., V.Y., M.C., E.K., D.B.), Research Service (K.P., E.H.), and Department of Ophthalmology (K.W.), Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, OR; and Department of Neurology (R.S., C.M., K.W., V.Y., E.K., F.H., J.S., D.B.), Advanced Imaging Research Center (K.P.), and Casey Eye Institute (K.W.), Oregon Health & Science University, Portland.
Charles MurchisonNeurology Division (R.S., V.Y., M.C., E.K., D.B.), Research Service (K.P., E.H.), and Department of Ophthalmology (K.W.), Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, OR; and Department of Neurology (R.S., C.M., K.W., V.Y., E.K., F.H., J.S., D.B.), Advanced Imaging Research Center (K.P.), and Casey Eye Institute (K.W.), Oregon Health & Science University, Portland.
Elizabeth HerizaNeurology Division (R.S., V.Y., M.C., E.K., D.B.), Research Service (K.P., E.H.), and Department of Ophthalmology (K.W.), Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, OR; and Department of Neurology (R.S., C.M., K.W., V.Y., E.K., F.H., J.S., D.B.), Advanced Imaging Research Center (K.P.), and Casey Eye Institute (K.W.), Oregon Health & Science University, Portland.
Kimberly WingesNeurology Division (R.S., V.Y., M.C., E.K., D.B.), Research Service (K.P., E.H.), and Department of Ophthalmology (K.W.), Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, OR; and Department of Neurology (R.S., C.M., K.W., V.Y., E.K., F.H., J.S., D.B.), Advanced Imaging Research Center (K.P.), and Casey Eye Institute (K.W.), Oregon Health & Science University, Portland.
Vijayshree YadavNeurology Division (R.S., V.Y., M.C., E.K., D.B.), Research Service (K.P., E.H.), and Department of Ophthalmology (K.W.), Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, OR; and Department of Neurology (R.S., C.M., K.W., V.Y., E.K., F.H., J.S., D.B.), Advanced Imaging Research Center (K.P.), and Casey Eye Institute (K.W.), Oregon Health & Science University, Portland.
Michelle CameronNeurology Division (R.S., V.Y., M.C., E.K., D.B.), Research Service (K.P., E.H.), and Department of Ophthalmology (K.W.), Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, OR; and Department of Neurology (R.S., C.M., K.W., V.Y., E.K., F.H., J.S., D.B.), Advanced Imaging Research Center (K.P.), and Casey Eye Institute (K.W.), Oregon Health & Science University, Portland.
Ed KimNeurology Division (R.S., V.Y., M.C., E.K., D.B.), Research Service (K.P., E.H.), and Department of Ophthalmology (K.W.), Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, OR; and Department of Neurology (R.S., C.M., K.W., V.Y., E.K., F.H., J.S., D.B.), Advanced Imaging Research Center (K.P.), and Casey Eye Institute (K.W.), Oregon Health & Science University, Portland.
Fay HorakNeurology Division (R.S., V.Y., M.C., E.K., D.B.), Research Service (K.P., E.H.), and Department of Ophthalmology (K.W.), Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, OR; and Department of Neurology (R.S., C.M., K.W., V.Y., E.K., F.H., J.S., D.B.), Advanced Imaging Research Center (K.P.), and Casey Eye Institute (K.W.), Oregon Health & Science University, Portland.
Jack SimonNeurology Division (R.S., V.Y., M.C., E.K., D.B.), Research Service (K.P., E.H.), and Department of Ophthalmology (K.W.), Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, OR; and Department of Neurology (R.S., C.M., K.W., V.Y., E.K., F.H., J.S., D.B.), Advanced Imaging Research Center (K.P.), and Casey Eye Institute (K.W.), Oregon Health & Science University, Portland.
Dennis BourdetteNeurology Division (R.S., V.Y., M.C., E.K., D.B.), Research Service (K.P., E.H.), and Department of Ophthalmology (K.W.), Veterans Affairs Portland Health Care System, OR; and Department of Neurology (R.S., C.M., K.W., V.Y., E.K., F.H., J.S., D.B.), Advanced Imaging Research Center (K.P.), and Casey Eye Institute (K.W.), Oregon Health & Science University, Portland.
VA Portland Health Care System · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo determine whether lipoic acid (LA), an endogenously produced antioxidant, slowed the whole-brain atrophy rate and was safe in secondary progressive MS (SPMS).

methodsPatients with SPMS aged 40-70 years enrolled in a single center, 2-year, double-blind, randomized trial of daily oral 1,200 mg LA vs placebo. Primary outcome was change in annualized percent change brain volume (PCBV). Secondary outcomes were changes in rates of atrophy of segmented brain, spinal cord, and retinal substructures, disability, quality of life, and safety. Intention-to-treat analysis used linear mixed models.

resultsParticipation occurred between May 2, 2011, and August 14, 2015. Study arms of LA (n = 27) and placebo (n = 24) were matched with mean age of 58.5 (SD 5.9) years, 61% women, mean disease duration of 29.6 (SD 9.5) years, and median Expanded Disability Status Score of 6.0 (interquartile range 1.75). After 2 years, the annualized PCBV was significantly less in the LA arm compared with placebo (-0.21 [standard error of the coefficient estimate (SEE) 0.14] vs -0.65 [SEE 0.10], 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.157-0.727,

conclusionsLA demonstrated a 68% reduction in annualized PCBV and suggested a clinical benefit in SPMS while maintaining favorable safety, tolerability, and compliance over 2 years. CLINICALTRIALSGOV IDENTIFIER: NCT01188811. CLASSIFICATION OF EVIDENCE: This study provides Class I evidence that for patients with SPMS, LA reduces the rate of brain atrophy.

Identifiers

PMID28680916
PMCPMC5489387
OpenAlexW2725212050

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.