Nemkova, S A · Zhurnal nevrologii i psikhiatrii imeni S.S. Korsakova · 2025 · DOI
This review article discusses postinfectious asthenic syndrome—a condition causing severe tiredness and weakness that develops after infections like colds, flu, and COVID-19 in children and teenagers. The authors examine how this condition develops, its symptoms, and how a medication called Mexidol may help reduce fatigue and improve thinking, mood, and nervous system problems that often accompany it.
Postinfectious asthenic syndrome shares significant clinical overlap with ME/CFS, particularly regarding fatigue onset following infection and associated cognitive and autonomic dysfunction. Understanding postinfectious mechanisms and treatment approaches in children may inform mechanistic understanding and therapeutic development for ME/CFS patients.
This review does not establish that Mexidol is definitively effective for ME/CFS, as postinfectious asthenic syndrome and ME/CFS are distinct diagnoses with potentially different pathophysiologies. The review does not prove causality for proposed mechanisms—it synthesizes existing literature without presenting new mechanistic data. Efficacy claims for Mexidol require evaluation through rigorous controlled trials.
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 →
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