Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33596913›Full record

SynthesisJournal of translational medicine2021

A systematic review of nutraceutical interventions for mitochondrial dysfunctions in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome.

Rebekah Maksoud, Cassandra Balinas, Sean Holden, Hélène Cabanas, Donald Staines, Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik

Registry-linked trialOpen access · goldAbstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Journal of translational medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT05128292 (Role of the NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation, Mitochondrial Biogenesis, and Immunoinflammatory Response After Oral Coenzyme Q10 Plus Selenium Supplementation in Individuals With Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome), which is not on this map. Cited by 14 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
14citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
2.4field-weighted citation impact, top 11% 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.

NCT05128292 nacompletednot on this map

Role of the NLRP3 Inflammasome Activation, Mitochondrial Biogenesis, and Immunoinflammatory Response After Oral Coenzyme Q10 Plus Selenium Supplementation in Individuals With Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

TypeinterventionalSponsorHospital Universitari Vall d'Hebron Research InstituteRan2018 to 2018Enrolled42ConditionsMyalgic EncephalomyelitisArmsCoQ10 plus Selenium
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

14 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 22 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Recent research in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: an evidence map.Health technology assessment (Winchester, England) · 2025
    Pooled it
  3. Trial
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Review
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Connecting the dots: the role of fatigue in female infertility.Reproductive biology and endocrinology : RB&E · 2024
    Review
  10. Review
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
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

6 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Rebekah MaksoudNational Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases (NCNED), Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia. ncned@griffith.edu.au.ORCID 0000-0002-8121-8161
Cassandra BalinasNational Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases (NCNED), Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia.
Sean HoldenNational Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases (NCNED), Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia.
Hélène CabanasNational Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases (NCNED), Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia.
Donald StainesNational Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases (NCNED), Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia.
Sonya Marshall-GradisnikNational Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases (NCNED), Menzies Health Institute Queensland, Griffith University, Gold Coast, Australia.
Griffith University · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMyalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) is a debilitating illness, characterised by persistent fatigue that is unrelieved by rest, in combination with a range of other disabling symptoms. There is no diagnostic test nor targeted treatment available for this illness. The pathomechanism also remains unclear. Mitochondrial dysfunctions have been considered a possible underlying pathology based on reported differences including structural and functional changes in ME/CFS patients compared to healthy controls. Due to the potential role that mitochondria may play in ME/CFS, mitochondrial-targeting nutraceutical interventions have been used to potentially assist in improving patient outcomes such as fatigue. The aim of this systematic review is to appraise literature assessing these nutraceuticals as a possible intervention for treating ME/CFS.

methodsA systematic search of Pubmed, Embase, Medline (EBSCO host) and Web of Science (via Clarivate Analytics) for journal articles published between January 1995 and 10th November 2020 was conducted. Articles assessing nutraceutical interventions and ME/CFS patient outcomes were retrieved. Using specific inclusion and exclusion criteria, the list of articles was further refined. Quality was measured using the Rosendal scale.

resultsNine intervention studies were included in this review. The studies investigated patient symptom severity changes such as altered fatigue levels in response to mitochondrial-targeting nutraceuticals. Improvements in fatigue levels were observed in six of the nine studies. Secondary outcomes assessed include biochemical, psychological, and quality of life parameters.

conclusionThere is insufficient evidence on the effectiveness of mitochondria- targeting nutraceuticals in ME/CFS patients. Future well-designed studies are required to elucidate both the involvement of mitochondria in the pathomechanism of ME/CFS and the effect of mitochondrial-modifying agents on illness severity.

Indexed as

Fatigue Syndrome, ChronicDietary SupplementsHumansMitochondriaQuality of LifeSeverity of Illness IndexChronic fatigue syndromeInterventionMitochondriaMyalgic encephalomyelitisNutraceuticals

Identifiers

PMID33596913
PMCPMC7890871
OpenAlexW3131152898

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

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.