| Methods |
Randomised, placebo‐controlled, double‐blind cross‐over study |
| Participants |
9 children and adults with various mitochondrial respiratory chain disorders |
| Interventions |
Dichloroacetate (25 mg/kg daily) or placebo, 2 week washout |
| Outcomes |
Physiologic exercise measurements (VO2 max, work output, lactate, heart rate, blood pressure), and rating of perceived exertion scale |
| Notes |
Blood lactate during submaximal exercise statistically significantly lower in DCA group (1.71 (CI 0.81 to 2.61) versus 2.39 (CI 1.53 to 3.25)). All other outcomes not significant |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Method of randomisation not specified |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Method of sequence allocation not specified |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
All participants completed all outcome assessments |
| Selective reporting (reporting bias) |
Low risk |
All outcome measures in methods section were reported in results section |
| Other bias |
Low risk |
None identified |
| Blinding of participants and personnel (performance bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
"subjects received either oral DCA or PL (25 mg/kg)..., administered randomly in a double‐blind fashion" |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
"subjects received either oral DCA
or PL (25 mg/kg)..., administered randomly in a double‐blind fashion" |
