RUSSIAN CLINICAL AND ARCHIVAL RESEARCH

ME/CFS Research

Russian studies on historical chronic fatigue syndrome, with reported results, study doses and original sources. Related research covers fatigue in other clinical populations, animal models and occupational settings.

Key reported findings

Reported results from Russian clinical comparisons
Intervention	Study	Reported result
Cortexin electrophoresis	100 · historical CFS	88% with Cortexin electrophoresis, 60% with galvanization alone and 44% with sham, as summarized in 2013.
Intramuscular Cortexin	78 · historical CFS	43/56 (77%) rated good, 11/56 (20%) satisfactory and 2/56 (4%) unsatisfactory. The corresponding distribution for the 22 comparison patients was not supplied.
Phenotropil and piracetam	70 · historical CFS subgroup	28/32 (87.5%) with Phenotropil and 11/20 (55%) with piracetam. The authors reported p<0.05 for the drug comparison.
Phenibut (Noofen)	53 · fatigue with chronic cerebral ischemia	MFI-20 fell from 67.3±4.7 to 41.4±3.1 in the Noofen arm (within-arm p<0.001). Authors reported no change in usual care.

The historical studies used definitions of chronic fatigue syndrome that may differ from current ME/CFS criteria, including whether post-exertional malaise was required. The doses below describe the study protocols.

Compounds and preparations studied

Russian clinical comparisons in chronic fatigue syndrome

Comparison in people · 2010

Endonasal Cortexin for chronic fatigue syndrome: Melnikova dissertation and companion reports

The 2017 paper reports 100 adults aged 28–45 with historical CFS, mean age 31.5 ± 4.8 years. The arms were Cortexin electrophoresis (50), endonasal galvanization alone (25), and sham (25).

Author-rated improvement in the 100-person comparison: 88% with Cortexin electrophoresis, 60% with galvanization alone and 44% with sham, as summarized in 2013.
Additional results in the dissertation excerpts: Reduced asthenic and neurotic symptoms in 88% and pain in 90%, with improved neurological status in 92%. The excerpts do not identify the denominator for each measure.
Duration of reported benefit: The 2010 excerpt and 2017 paper describe benefit at one year in all observed treated patients. The 2010 excerpt reports 25% beyond one year. The 2020 abstract says most still benefited at one year. The publications reviewed give no follow-up denominator for this comparison.

Methods, study doses and limitations

Melnikova’s dissertation excerpts identify endonasal electrophoresis using a Potok-1 device and describe bench tests of Cortexin stability under direct current. The accessible CFS sources do not establish the Cortexin amount, solution concentration or session schedule. A later glaucoma paper citing her method used 10 sessions at 1–2 mA, with 10 minutes for the first three sessions and 15 minutes thereafter. Those settings are documented for glaucoma.

The available dissertation material consists of excerpts. Allocation, masking, adverse-event counts, follow-up denominators, and a required post-exertional malaise criterion could not be verified. The comparative percentages reflect the authors’ combined clinical and instrumental assessment. The 2017 paper coauthored by Melnikova cites her 2010 dissertation and reports the same 50/25/25 allocation as the 2020 abstract. Their EEG and cognitive results use nearly identical wording. The reports likely reuse the same cohort and contribute a single 100-person comparison to the evidence summary. Participant-level confirmation is unavailable.

Dissertation excerpts and related reports. The 2017 paper supplies arm sizes; the 2013 review supplies comparative percentages. · Candidate of Medical Sciences dissertation, Moscow, 126 pp., RSL 01004662270

Cortexin

Dissertation and publication trail

The Russian State Library’s table of contents places treatment methods on pp. 46–47. View the table of contents ↗

Dissertation excerpts ↗ · Shakula and Melnikova’s 2007 paper record ↗

2013 review and reported outcomes ↗ · 2017 paper and group sizes ↗ · 2020 proceedings ↗

Later description of the procedure in glaucoma ↗

Study record ↗ · Russian State Library dissertation record ↗

Comparison in people · 2010

Cortexin in a Russian chronic fatigue syndrome comparison

78 adults aged 19–46 with author-defined CFS, 56 adjunctive Cortexin and 22 comparison

Clinical ratings in the Cortexin arm: 43/56 (77%) rated good, 11/56 (20%) satisfactory and 2/56 (4%) unsatisfactory. The corresponding distribution for the 22 comparison patients was not supplied.
Visual-motor performance: The proportion rated substantially impaired fell from 33.7% to 19%, and moderately impaired from 36.5% to 12%, in a before-and-after comparison.

Methods, study doses and limitations

Both groups received a package of treatments. The Cortexin group also received 10 mg intramuscularly daily for 10 days, with repeat courses when needed. The authors used a symptom-list definition in which post-exertional discomfort lasting more than 24 hours was one optional criterion.

Allocation and masking are unclear. Clinical ratings in the Cortexin group do not estimate a controlled effect. The historical case definition did not require PEM.

Original Russian-language source · Russian Medical Journal, issue 16, p. 1004

Cortexin

Study record ↗ · Original source ↗

Comparison in people · 2006

Phenotropil and piracetam in a Russian chronic fatigue comparison

180 participants across asthenic syndrome and CFS groups. The CFS subgroup totaled 70 (32 Phenotropil, 20 piracetam, 18 placebo).

Complete or partial symptom response in the CFS subgroup: 28/32 (87.5%) with Phenotropil and 11/20 (55%) with piracetam. The authors reported p<0.05 for the drug comparison.
Placebo: The authors report no complete response. The narrative gives no matching count for partial response.

Methods, study doses and limitations

Four-week oral comparison. Phenotropil started at 50 mg twice daily and was titrated to 200–250 mg/day. Piracetam was 400 mg three times daily. Placebo mimicked the Phenotropil regimen.

The dossier does not establish random allocation, assessor masking or a modern case definition requiring PEM. The authors’ criteria describe symptom relief over four weeks.

Original Russian-language source · MEDI.RU author report, March 2006

Study record ↗ · Original source ↗

The 2017 paper coauthored by Melnikova cites her 2010 dissertation and reports the same 50/25/25 allocation as the 2020 abstract. Their EEG and cognitive results use nearly identical wording. The reports likely reuse the same cohort and contribute a single 100-person comparison to the evidence summary. Participant-level confirmation is unavailable. 2020 conference findings ↗

Related Russian fatigue and adaptation research

These sources cover chronic cerebral ischemia, animal fatigue models, occupational exertion, environmental stress and acute illness.

Animal research · 2013

Selank in rat and primate fatigue models

Rats and monkeys exposed to experimental stressors

Rats: The abstract reports a short-lived change in fatigue-like behavior after Selank.
Primates: The authors reported a gradual increase in task performance and changes in EEG after repeated intranasal dosing.

Methods, study doses and limitations

Conference abstract describing behavioral, EEG, autonomic and motor assessments in an experimental fatigue model. Monkeys received repeated intranasal Selank. The abstract supplies no dose, group sizes or effect estimates.

The authors modeled selected fatigue-like features in animals. The experiment did not enroll people or validate an ME/CFS model.

Original Russian-language source · 6th Russian Symposium on Proteins and Peptides, p. 106

Selank

Study record ↗ · Original source ↗

Comparison in people · 2017

Noofen in chronic cerebrovascular insufficiency with fatigue

53 people with chronic cerebral ischemia, fatigue and anxiety, 33 add-on Noofen and 20 usual care

Fatigue score: MFI-20 fell from 67.3±4.7 to 41.4±3.1 in the Noofen arm (within-arm p<0.001). Authors reported no change in usual care.
Participants with 30–50% lower fatigue scores: 25/33 (75.8%) with add-on Noofen versus 5/20 (25%) with usual care.

Methods, study doses and limitations

Six-week comparison. The authors report random assignment to oral phenibut hydrochloride 500 mg twice daily plus standard care, or standard care alone. The main measure was the MFI-20 fatigue score.

No placebo or masking is described. Chronic cerebral ischemia was required for inclusion. The trial measured fatigue in that population.

Original Russian-language source · S. S. Korsakov Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry, 117(11), pp. 31–36

Phenibut

Study record ↗ · Original source ↗

Historical and adjacent research
Source record	Population or model	Reported findings
Stabinorm botanical mixture for a claimed fatigue use — RU2390348C1	Rodent experiments, 10 animals per group	Open-arm time was threefold control at 0.1 mg/kg and twofold at 1 mg/kg. The patent also reports gains in selected endurance tests.
Pharmaceutical composition and method for treating chronic fatigue syndrome due to its application	Historical patent case descriptions	Separate ten-person MS and ten-person fatigue groups received Bemitil with other interventions. The patent provides no controlled ME/CFS outcome or modern diagnostic criteria.
Bemitil plus carnitine: asthenia and fatigue claims — RU2578412C1	Repeated-stress mouse experiment	Bemitil plus levocarnitine improved selected swimming and rotarod measures. The combination did not improve the reported memory measure.
Ladasten in neurasthenia and somatogenic asthenia: safety and therapeutic efficacy	40 people with neurasthenia or somatogenic asthenia	The single-blind Ladasten comparison reported symptom improvement over 28 days. The public summary does not provide numerical results from the tables.
Efficiency of preventive use of bemethyl during long-term voyages	298 sailors in the voyage program	A voyage study measured work performance and adaptation. Twenty sailors took part in detailed performance testing.
Pirabel during prolonged physical work and recovery — monograph section 6.2	78 healthy volunteers performing prolonged physical work	Piracetam plus Bemitil was evaluated under prolonged exertion. The outcomes describe work capacity in that model.
Meteoadaptogenic properties of antihypoxants	Healthy adults under simulated heat stress	The climate-chamber study compared the effects of antihypoxants on acute environmental stress.
Peptide Drug Thymalin Regulates Immune Status in Severe COVID-19 Older Patients	Hospitalized people with severe acute COVID-19	In-hospital mortality was 7/36 (19.4%) with Thymalin and 18/44 (40.9%) with saline (p=0.039). Follow-up covered acute illness.