Summary
Mental Training is tracked by OSMF as an investigational option for ME/CFS; no regulator has approved it for this indication, and most post-viral conditions have no approved disease-modifying therapy at all. ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking Mental Training to ME/CFS: 1 has completed. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 50 participants. Registered activity dates to 2015. The literature layer holds 6 publications for this pair: 6 PubMed search records. Publication years run from 2023 to 2025. Items here are search-derived or curated references rather than classified trial reports; treat them as leads to read, not as graded evidence.
Myalgic Encephalomyelitis / Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is tracked on the OSMF post-viral programme alongside ME/CFS, Long COVID, POTS and MCAS. Across the programme, 191 candidate agents are logged for ME/CFS, most of them preliminary; this page isolates the record for one of them.
Evidence table
| Evidence tier | C · Preliminary |
|---|---|
| Evidence score | 13.5 (trials 2.5, literature 6.0, tier 5, approved bonus 0.0) |
| Registered trials | 1 total: 0 recruiting, 0 active / not yet recruiting, 1 completed, 0 other |
| Linked publications | 6 (6 PubMed search records) |
| Agent type | Other (Other / Unclassified) |
| Development stage (any indication) | Investigational |
| Mechanism / class | Not recorded |
| Data sources | OSMF therapeutic agent database, ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed |
How the evidence score is calculated
- Each registered trial scores by status (recruiting / active / enrolling 3, completed 2.5, not yet recruiting 2, unknown 1, terminated / withdrawn / suspended 0.5) plus a phase bonus (phase 3-4 +2, phase 2 +1, phase 1 +0.5). The trial component is capped at 30.
- Each literature item scores by design (Cochrane review 5, meta-analysis 4, systematic review 3, RCT 3, clinical trial publication 2, curated reference 1.5, other PubMed record 1). The literature component is capped at 30.
- The existing evidence tier adds 15 (A / Strong), 10 (B / Moderate), 5 (C / Preliminary) or 0 (D / Anecdotal).
- Agents approved for any indication (max clinical phase 4) add 5, because an approved agent has an established safety profile that lowers the barrier to repurposing trials.
- The score ranks what has been studied, not what works. It does not read effect sizes or directions of effect.
Registered clinical trials
| NCT ID | Title | Status | Phase | Enrolment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NCT02499302 | Mental Training for CFS Following EBV Infection in Adolescents University Hospital, Akershus · 2015 | completed | Not applicable | 50 |
Published literature
- PubMed record (biomarker-intervention search) How mindfulness-based training improves stress-related health: a selective review of randomized clinical trials comparing psychological mechanisms of action.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2025 · PMID 40831956
- PubMed record (biomarker-intervention search) Serum BDNF Increase After 9-Month Contemplative Mental Training Is Associated With Decreased Cortisol Secretion and Increased Dentate Gyrus Volume: Evidence From a Randomized Clinical Trial.Biological psychiatry global open science · 2025 · PMID 39896238
- PubMed record (biomarker-intervention search) Differential increase of hippocampal subfield volume after socio-affective mental training relates to reductions in diurnal cortisol.eLife · 2024 · PMID 39196261
- PubMed record (biomarker-intervention search) Reducing neuroendocrine psychosocial stress response through socio-emotional dyadic but not mindfulness online training.Frontiers in endocrinology · 2024 · PMID 38978617
- PubMed record (biomarker-intervention search) Testing the monitor and acceptance theory: the role of training-induced changes in monitoring- and acceptance-related capacities after attention-based, socio-emotional, or socio-cognitive mental training in reducing cortisol stress reactivity.Stress (Amsterdam, Netherlands) · 2024 · PMID 38841737
- PubMed record (biomarker-intervention search) Hair cortisol as outcome parameter for psychological and neuropsychiatric interventions-a literature review.Frontiers in psychiatry · 2023 · PMID 37881597
Mechanism and notes
No mechanism of action is recorded for this pair in the source databases.
Clinical notes: Investigational for listed conditions. 1 associated trial(s) and 0 study reference(s) in current data. Review primary sources and consult specialists before use.
Safety: Limited specific safety data in these populations. Review full prescribing information and consult specialist. Many agents used off-label or investigational.
Dosing in studies: See linked studies/trials for reported doses and durations; typical protocols vary widely.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mental Training approved for ME/CFS?
Mental Training is tracked by OSMF as an investigational option for ME/CFS; no regulator has approved it for this indication, and most post-viral conditions have no approved disease-modifying therapy at all. Approval status for the specific indication should always be confirmed with the relevant regulator and prescribing information.
Is Mental Training in clinical trials for ME/CFS?
ClinicalTrials.gov lists 1 registered trial linking Mental Training to ME/CFS: 1 has completed. None of the registered studies carries a drug-development phase label, which is typical for behavioural, device and supplement protocols. It plans or enrolled 50 participants. Registered activity dates to 2015.
What does the evidence show for Mental Training in ME/CFS?
Mental Training has 1 completed trial and 6 linked publications for ME/CFS. Completed trials may or may not have posted results; follow the NCT links to check. OSMF's existing evidence tier for this pair is C (Preliminary), taken from the OSMF therapeutic agent database, which grades agents by the volume and design of condition-specific evidence rather than by effect size.
Cite this page
Data: ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, Open Targets, ChEMBL, DGIdb and the OSMF therapeutic agent database. Last updated 2026-10-07. Page built 2026-10-07.