Co-ultramicronized palmitoylethanolamide/luteolin normalizes GABAB-ergic activity and cortical plasticity in long COVID-19 syndrome
Randomised controlled trialHumansWith luteolin
This study tested palmitoylethanolamide together with luteolin. Its results cannot be assigned to palmitoylethanolamide alone. More combination studies.
- Design
- Randomised controlled trial
- Subjects
- 39 adults with persistent fatigue and cognitive complaints after mild COVID-19 enrolled; 34 completed (17 per group). Mean age 50, 26 women, about 10 months after infection
- Dose used in the study
- 700 mg ultramicronised PEA plus 70 mg luteolin (Glialia, Epitech Group) as sublingual microgranules, twice daily, versus inert placebo granules
- Duration
- 8 weeks
- What was measured
- Transcranial magnetic stimulation of the motor cortex the day before and at the end of treatment: long-interval intracortical inhibition (LICI, primary outcome, a marker of GABA-B activity), short-latency afferent inhibition (SAI), and LTP-like plasticity after theta-burst stimulation. Cognitive screening with MoCA and FAB
What the authors reported
LICI increased in the PEA-luteolin group (conditioned response fell from 67 to 32 percent of test amplitude) but not with placebo (67 to 71 percent); interaction p = 0.034. LTP-like plasticity was restored at 1 and 10 minutes after theta-burst in the treated group only. SAI did not change. MoCA and FAB scores did not differ between groups. No side effects reported.
Limits of this study
Small trial (17 per group after 5 withdrawals). Outcomes are neurophysiological markers, not symptoms; fatigue and cognition scores were not reported as outcomes and the cognitive tests showed a ceiling effect. Allocation was pseudo-randomised to balance groups. Single centre, 8 weeks, no follow-up. Product and placebo supplied free by Epitech Group; no external funding. Registered after the study started (NCT05311852).
Source
doi:10.1016/j.clinph.2022.10.017
Entry checked against the full text, supplied by Devlin from Clinical Neurophysiology (ScienceDirect) on 2026-09-21. The dose shown is the dose the researchers used. It is not a recommendation. How to read this page.