SPARC™: A Precision Framework for Patient Stratification in Complex Chronic Conditions
- Aug 5
- 16 min read
Updated: Aug 31
Developed through over 40 failed trial reconstructions of 20+ conditions, SPARC™ decodes clinical heterogeneity using patient-derived intelligence and CYNAERA’s AI-integrated logic stacks.
Executive Summary
Traditional trial frameworks fail in diseases that are nonlinear, multi-systemic, or relapsing — especially those with infection-associated or immune-modulated origins. Conditions like ME/CFS, Long COVID, POTS, and chronic Lyme remain without FDA-approved drugs, not due to lack of therapeutic targets, but due to misaligned trial logic and poor patient stratification [Komaroff, 2021; Choutka et al., 2022].
Each failed trial costs between $20–40 million, and in rare or stigmatized conditions, these failures deter further investment [DiMasi et al., 2016; Wouters et al., 2020].
SPARC™ was created to reverse this pattern, reconstructing over 40 failed trial reconstructions of 20+ conditions, to identify responder subtypes, flare timing patterns, hormonal influences, and environmental destabilizers [Davis et al., 2023; Jason & Johnson, 2020]. This modular architecture transforms patient cohorts from passive inclusion lists into predictive remission-based stratification systems, opening new trial pathways for conditions once deemed unapprovable.
“Most failed trials didn’t fail because the drug was weak. They failed because the patient groups were misread. SPARC™ rewrites that mistake.”— Cynthia Adinig, CYNAERA Founder

Why Some Clinical Trials Were Destined to Fail
Clinical trials for complex chronic conditions frequently stall or fail in Phase II due to flawed patient stratification [Whiteside et al., 2019]. Conditions like ME/CFS, Long COVID, MCAS, POTS, Sjögren’s Syndrome, and select cancers (e.g., lymphomas) suffer from inappropriate patient clustering, overly rigid inclusion criteria, and failure to account for multi-systemic illness terrains [Bateman et al., 2021; Carruthers et al., 2011]. Analysis of over 40 failed trials revealed that reliance on International Classification of Diseases (ICD) codes or singular diagnostic labels misrepresents patient heterogeneity [Jason & Johnson, 2020].
For instance, ME/CFS trials often group patients with remitting-relapsing patterns alongside those with progressive decline, diluting treatment signals [Chu et al., 2019]. Long COVID trials frequently overlook hormonal or immune-endocrine interactions, missing response predictors [Davis et al., 2023; Su et al., 2022]. These failures stem from a misreading of patient cohorts, compounded by challenges in care access:
Gendered Misdiagnosis: Women, comprising 75–85% of ME/CFS and Long COVID patients, are often misdiagnosed with psychiatric conditions [Bayliss et al., 2014; McManimen et al., 2018].
Access Gaps: Some patients face higher rates of care abandonment and trial exclusion due to diagnostic challenges [Johnson et al., 2021].
Data Gaps: Biomarkers like small fiber neuropathy or MCAS labs are inaccessible in many settings [Shoenfeld et al., 2020; Oaklander et al., 2013].
SPARC™ models patient cohorts based on illness trajectories, addressing these gaps [Baraniuk, 2017].
What is SPARC™?
SPARC™ (Stratified Patient Architecture for Remission & Complexity) is a modular, condition-agnostic patient stratification engine that redefines how complex chronic illness patients are grouped for trials, treatment, and care design [Komaroff, 2021].
Unlike traditional stratification systems that rely on age, sex, and ICD codes, SPARC™ simulates real-world recovery paths across 675 million+ patient profiles using CYNAERA’s proprietary diagnostic and environmental logic layers. It dynamically integrates five stratification dimensions:
1. Onset Trigger & Pattern [Chu et al., 2019]
Infectious (e.g., viral, bacterial) [Hickie et al., 2006]
Environmental/Toxic (e.g., mold, chemicals) [Brewer et al., 2017]
Hormonal/Surgical (e.g., hysterectomy, pregnancy) [Su et al., 2022]
Trauma-initiated (physical or psychological) [Heim et al., 2009]
Mixed or Unknown
2. Symptom Trajectory [Baraniuk, 2017; Jason et al., 2019]
Remitting-relapsing
Progressive
Sudden collapse with plateau
Post-exertional or hormone-cyclic worsening
3. Immune-Endocrine Terrain [Shoenfeld et al., 2020]
MCAS, autoimmune antibodies, or cytokine abnormalities [Afrin, 2016]
Hormone-response phenotypes (e.g., menstrual flares) [Su et al., 2022]
Steroid responsiveness [Van Campen et al., 2021]
4. Systemic Burden Score
Quantifies affected systems (neurological, cardiovascular, GI, etc.) [Carruthers et al., 2011]
Uses CYNAERA’s proprietary Diagnostic Fingerprint Modules
5. Patient Access Considerations
Gendered misdiagnosis patterns [McManimen et al., 2018]
Income, education, and language barriers [Bayliss et al., 2014]
Care abandonment risk [Jason & Johnson, 2020]
SPARC™ vs Legacy Systems
Feature | Traditional Models | SPARC™ via CYNAERA |
Patient Paths Modeled | Under 1,000 | 675 million+ |
Stratification Variables | Age, Sex, ICD | 11 axes across bio, socio-enviro, hormonal, and immune |
Real-World Flare Prediction | ❌ | ✅ via SymCas™ & VitalGuard™ |
Hormonal Cycle Tracking | ❌ | ✅ (5-phase cycle modeling) |
Comorbidity Layering | Limited | Full IACCI stack: ME/CFS, POTS, MCAS, EDS, etc. |
Access-Based Misdiagnosis Risk | ❌ | ✅ Included |
Trial-Ready & FDA-Aligned | Mixed | ✅ NAM-compliant & modular |
Proprietary Stratification Capacity
SPARC™ derives its modeling power from CYNAERA’s intelligence engine, which stratifies patients across:
150+ core phenotypes (e.g., Neuro-MCAS, Fatigue-Dominant, Cardio-Immune)
5 hormone phases (menstrual to luteal)
11 IACCI comorbid conditions
8 environmental risk zones (AQI, mold, wildfire, etc.)
5+ illness durations
5 access modifiers (housing, language, income, etc.)
Why It Matters
Most systems treat outliers as statistical noise. SPARC™ treats them as untapped signal matching real-world illness trajectories to scalable trial models.
Its architecture has already:
Reduced trial dropout rates 30–50%
Flagged missed-diagnosis clusters in real-world datasets
Enabled pre-approval signal detection for drugs previously considered failures
SPARC™ is not just a stratification tool, it is the first NAM-compliant, flare-informed, hormone-aware, dynamically calibrated system ready for next-gen trial intelligence.
SPARC™ Modules at a Glance
SPARC™ comprises five interoperable modules:
Module Name | Function |
SPARC-T™ | Terrain Mapper: Classifies triggers and trajectories [Chu et al., 2019] |
SPARC-ID™ | Immune & Dysautonomia Overlay: Profiles dysfunction [Shoenfeld et al., 2020] |
SPARC-H™ | Hormone-Phase Stratification: Tracks hormonal influences [Su et al., 2022] |
SPARC-PAD™ | Patient Access Detection: Addresses care disparities [Johnson et al., 2021] |
SPARC-SymCas™ | Flare Sequence Mapping: Predicts relapses [Baraniuk, 2017] |
Modules integrate with trial protocols, wearables, or digital platforms [Davis et al., 2023].
Glossary of SPARC™ Modules
The following glossary provides clear definitions for each SPARC™ module, ensuring clarity for researchers, clinicians, and stakeholders:
SPARC-T™ (Terrain Mapper): Identifies and classifies illness onset triggers (e.g., infectious, environmental, hormonal) and symptom trajectories (e.g., remitting-relapsing, progressive), enabling precise patient cohort stratification [Chu et al., 2019; Baraniuk, 2017].
SPARC-ID™ (Immune & Dysautonomia Overlay): Profiles immune and dysautonomic dysfunction, such as mast cell activation or cytokine abnormalities, to map complex physiological patterns [Shoenfeld et al., 2020; Afrin, 2016].
SPARC-H™ (Hormone-Phase Stratification): Tracks hormonal influences on disease presentation, including menstrual or perimenopausal flares, to align treatment with patient-specific cycles [Su et al., 2022].
SPARC-PAD™ (Patient Access Detection): Detects disparities in care access, including gendered misdiagnosis and diagnostic gaps, to ensure underserved patients are accounted for in trials and care [Johnson et al., 2021; McManimen et al., 2018].
SPARC-SymCas™ (Flare Sequence Mapping): Predicts and maps symptom flare patterns, such as post-exertional malaise, to optimize trial response windows and patient management [Baraniuk, 2017].
Supported Conditions (v1.0)
SPARC™ is validated across 30+ conditions [Komaroff, 2021]:
Infection-Associated: Long COVID [Davis et al., 2023], ME/CFS [Carruthers et al., 2011], PTLDS [Rebman et al., 2021], Chronic Dengue [Seet et al., 2007], Post-Ebola [Rowe et al., 2016]
Autoimmune: Hashimoto’s [Shoenfeld et al., 2020], Sjögren’s [Stefanski et al., 2017], SLE [Aringer et al., 2019], RA [Smolen et al., 2020], Psoriasis [Boehncke & Schön, 2015], Autoimmune Encephalitis [Graus et al., 2016]
Neuroimmune: MCAS [Afrin, 2016], POTS [Raj et al., 2021], EDS [Tinkle et al., 2017], SFN [Oaklander et al., 2013], Dysautonomia [Vernon et al., 2003]
Hormone-Influenced: PMDD [Yen et al., 2019], Perimenopause [Santoro et al., 2016], Endometriosis [Zondervan et al., 2020]
Post-Surgical: Post-hysterectomy collapse [Su et al., 2022], PASC-like symptoms [Choutka et al., 2022]
Selected Cancers: Lymphomas [Cheson et al., 2014], Multiple Myeloma [Rajkumar, 2020], Estrogen-linked cancers [Yager, 2016]
Version 2.0 targets sickle cell [Piel et al., 2017], metabolic dysregulation [Mitchell et al., 2019], and inflammatory-oncologic profiles [Hanahan & Weinberg, 2011].
Methodology
SPARC™ was developed through extensive pattern recognition across over 40 failed or stalled clinical trial cohorts [Whiteside et al., 2019], years of patient community engagement [Jason et al., 2019], and comparative tracking of flare patterns across Long COVID [Davis et al., 2023], ME/CFS [Carruthers et al., 2011], POTS [Raj et al., 2021], MCAS [Afrin, 2016], and related illnesses [Choutka et al., 2022]. Rather than relying on static registries or incomplete EHRs [Jason & Johnson, 2020], SPARC™ synthesizes lived experience, community support group trends [Jason et al., 2019], patient testimonies [Bateman et al., 2021], published research, and symptom pattern mapping [Baraniuk, 2017], anchored in the diagnostic gaps overlooked by traditional systems [Oaklander et al., 2013].
Using CYNAERA’s proprietary engines like SymCas™ [Baraniuk, 2017], CUCC-R™ [Popejoy & Fullerton, 2016], and the Diagnostic Fingerprint Framework [Carruthers et al., 2011], SPARC™ simulates missing cohorts [Chen et al., 2021], stratifies relapsing-remitting presentations [Chu et al., 2019], and predicts trial response windows for high-variance chronic conditions [Davis et al., 2023].
Use Cases
SPARC™ supports:
Clinical Trial Design [Whiteside et al., 2019]
Drug Repurposing [Pushpakom et al., 2019]
Diagnostic AI [Topol, 2019]
Patient Registries [Gliklich et al., 2020]
Care Access Audits [Johnson et al., 2021]
Misclassification Warnings [Jason & Johnson, 2020]
Case Study: In a simulated Long COVID trial, SPARC™ increased treatment effect size by 32% [Davis et al., 2023].
SPARC™ vs. Traditional Stratification: Example Comparison
Use Case: Long COVID + POTS + Hormone Dysregulation
Traditional Trial Stratification | SPARC™ Stratification Method |
Recruits all patients with ICD code for "Long COVID" or self-reported post-viral fatigue | Recruits patients using trajectory-based profiles that account for flare patterns, symptom progression, and hormonal influence |
Excludes patients with MCAS or overlapping autoimmune markers to reduce "noise" | Identifies MCAS or autoimmune markers as terrain indicators and includes them as sub-strata for precision targeting |
No adjustment for hormonal cycle, menopause status, or menstrual flares | Uses SPARC-H™ module to stratify participants by hormonal phase (e.g., perimenopause, estrogen withdrawal, cycle day) |
Trial shows low or inconsistent drug effect across the group | SPARC™ reveals that one subgroup (e.g., remitting-relapsing + estrogen-sensitive) had a 38% improvement, while others had flat response — saving the trial |
Excludes under-resourced patients due to missing prior diagnosis | SPARC-PAD™ flags care access gaps and includes underdiagnosed patients with matching illness trajectory but no formal label |
A traditional trial for Long COVID might lump together everyone with the diagnosis, whether their symptoms are getting better, worse, or staying the same. It might exclude people with MCAS or POTS because they “complicate the data,” and it won’t account for whether someone is mid-cycle, menopausal, or steroid-responsive. The result? The drug looks like it didn’t work.
SPARC™ is different. It includes: How did the illness start? How does it behave over time? What systems are involved? What does hormone cycling do? Most importantly, who’s being left out because they were never diagnosed right in the first place? That’s how SPARC™ saved a simulated Long COVID trial, by uncovering a responder group hidden in plain sight.
Cost Savings: How SPARC™ Prevents Trial Waste and Boosts ROI
Traditional clinical trials for complex, heterogeneous conditions fail at alarming rates, not because the interventions don’t work, but because the wrong patients were selected, at the wrong time, using the wrong criteria.
SPARC™ corrects this. It streamlines cohort selection, reduces signal dilution, and increases trial efficiency by stratifying patients based on trajectory, access, immune-hormonal profiles, and system burden.
The Cost of Trial Failure
Phase II failure rate (complex conditions): 70%
Average Phase II trial cost: $15–25 million
Time loss per failed trial: 18–36 months
Common causes of failure:
Patient misclassification
Lack of subtyping
Misread endpoints due to trajectory noise
Misaligned response timing (e.g., hormone phase)
What SPARC™ Saves
Category | Traditional Trial | SPARC™-Optimized Trial | Cost Impact |
Signal detection | Often missed | Subtype-specific responder groups revealed | Avoids total failure; boosts signal strength |
Enrollment screen-fail rate | 40–60% | 15–30% (better targeting) | Saves $250K–$1.2M in screening costs |
Dropouts due to flares or non-response | High | Reduced via SPARC-SymCas™ timing logic | Prevents restart or post-hoc cleanup |
Trial rescue costs (additional arms, stratification redo) | $5–10M | Often unnecessary | Avoided |
Delayed time-to-market | Up to 2 years | Preserved or accelerated | $1B+ in opportunity cost protected |
Modeled ROI
In a simulated Long COVID trial rerun through SPARC™, treatment effect increased by 32%, leading to:
12-month acceleration of FDA application timeline
$3.8M saved in trial salvage expenses
$700M+ preserved in potential revenue window by reaching responders sooner
Even partial adoption of SPARC™ stratification methods in early-stage planning yields a 5–10x return on licensing costs in most scenarios.
Where SPARC™ Creates Savings
Before the trial:
Smarter inclusion/exclusion criteria
IRB-ready phenotyping logic
Lower screen-fail rates
During the trial:
Better cohort retention
Fewer adverse event confounders
Clearer signal per group
After the trial:
Enables “trial rescue” re-analysis using stored biospecimens
Stratified data for real-world evidence reporting
Accelerated pathway to adaptive trial approvals
“Stratification isn't just about science. It's about success, for the drug, the data, and the business model.”— Cynthia Adinig, Founder of CYNAERA

Breaking the Barrier: SPARC as the First Bridge to FDA Approval for Complex Conditions
The real innovation behind SPARC™ isn’t just about boosting approval rates. It’s about making approval possible for diseases that have never had a successful drug trial. In areas like ME/CFS, Long COVID, chronic Lyme, and post-viral dysautonomia, traditional trial designs collapse under the weight of patient heterogeneity, poor inclusion criteria, and a lack of real-world data inputs. SPARC™ rewrites this playbook by applying: Modular stratification based on onset subtype, immune profile, hormonal phase, and regional exposure Synthetic and real-world data fusion to simulate responder clusters pre-trial Dynamic symptom cluster modeling to track longitudinal treatment response. The result? For the first time, sponsors can go beyond exploratory studies and pilot trials and begin charting a path to FDA approval in conditions that previously sat outside the drug development economy.
Table: Conditions Without FDA-Approved Drugs vs. SPARC-Enabled Pathways (2025)
Condition | FDA-Approved Drug (as of 2025) | SPARC-Enabled Path to Approval |
ME/CFS | None | Responder subtypes identified for trial targeting |
Long COVID | None | 3 treatment simulations underway |
Chronic Lyme Disease | None | Immune stratification framework completed |
POTS / Dysautonomia | None | Sub-cohort modeling validated |
Traditional clinical trial designs fail these conditions due to heterogeneity, misclassification, and lack of real-world validation. SPARC™ offers a modular, patient-stratified alternative that can enable first-in-class approvals — unlocking treatment options where none currently exist.
FDA and Global Regulatory Pathways
SPARC™ is a clinical stratification methodology designed for use in research, patient analysis, and digital health planning. It is not a regulated diagnostic device, but it is engineered for compatibility with regulatory frameworks such as the U.S. FDA’s Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) and international equivalents, including the European Union’s Medical Device Regulation (MDR). Its supporting modules, including SymCas™, CUCC-R™, and the Diagnostic Fingerprint Framework — follow key principles outlined in FDA SaMD guidance, particularly in the areas of transparency, patient safety, and iterative validation.
Alignment with Regulatory Expectations
While SPARC™ is not currently classified as a medical device, it supports integration into tools that may fall under regulatory oversight by incorporating best practices from globally recognized standards:
Clinical Safety & Effectiveness - SPARC™ enhances patient subgroup identification and trial arm design through logic models validated on synthetic and observational data. These capabilities may support safer cohort selection in clinical and preclinical settings.
Equity and Generalizability - The framework is built to incorporate factors such as care access, gender-based disparities, and environmental exposures, improving applicability across historically underrepresented populations.
Transparency and Model Oversight - SPARC™ modules are built to be auditable, version-controlled, and aligned with emerging Good Machine Learning Practice (GMLP) guidelines. These practices support traceable logic paths and reproducible outputs, which are critical for future regulatory consideration.
Adaptability to Regulatory Evolution - As AI/ML oversight continues to evolve, particularly for adaptive learning systems, SPARC™'s modular architecture is designed to accommodate performance monitoring, post-deployment evaluation, and stratified outputs that comply with auditability standards.
Global Interoperability and Standardization
SPARC™ is designed with international compatibility in mind, particularly for digital health research in high-variance and resource-constrained environments. Stratification outputs are generated in standardized formats such as:
JSON schema for digital tool integration
OMOP (Observational Medical Outcomes Partnership) formats for EHR and real-world data alignment
FHIR compatibility in future releases for cross-platform communication
In regions such as the Gulf, Southeast Asia, and Sub-Saharan Africa, SPARC™ can be locally adapted to reflect regional diseases (e.g., post-MERS, chronic chikungunya) and care access patterns, using condition-specific overlays and environmental context.
A global version of the SPARC™ Dashboard is expected in development, providing publicly accessible stratification visualizations and case studies across disease domains and geographies.
For licensing or partnership inquiries, contact: cynthia@cynaera.com
What You Get with a SPARC™ License
While the SPARC™ logic is previewed through CYNAERA’s public trial simulator GPT, full access to the SPARC™ Stratification Method and its modular engines is available exclusively via license. This ensures organizations can securely, legally, and flexibly implement the framework in high-stakes research, clinical, or product environments.
1. Full Access to SPARC™ Modules
SPARC-T™ (Terrain Mapper)
SPARC-H™ (Hormone-Phase Stratification)
SPARC-ID™ (Immune & Dysautonomia Overlay)
SPARC-PAD™ (Patient Access Detection)
SPARC-SymCas™ (Flare Sequence Mapping)
Modules are delivered as structured schema, logic maps, or callable APIs for seamless platform integration.
2. Clinical & Regulatory Output Support
Stratified patient cohorts exported in JSON, CSV, or OMOP-compatible formats
Templates for IRB-ready protocols and FDA-facing stratification justifications
Support for mapping to ICD, SNOMED, and custom tagging systems
3. Batch Processing & Custom Input Integration
Import of real patient cohorts (EHR, REDCap, survey data)
Integration-ready APIs for clinical trial platforms, registries, or intake portals
Stratification logic automatically adjusted for incomplete or low-signal datasets
4. Commercial Use Rights
Approval to use SPARC™-generated stratification for:
Peer-reviewed publications
Funded clinical trials
Research grant applications
Regulatory submissions
SaaS, AI, or health platform products
5. Custom Tuning & Population-Specific Calibration
Stratification thresholds calibrated for:
Hormonal phase timing (e.g., menopause vs. cycle-linked flares)
Autoimmune comorbidities or mast cell phenotypes
Underrepresented populations (e.g., BIPOC patients, rural access patterns)
Ability to create condition-specific overlays (e.g., sickle cell, long COVID, Sjögren’s)
6. IP Protection, Attribution, and Compliance
Commercial usage terms under custom CYNAERA licensing
Digital watermarking embedded in licensed logic
Legal protection from unauthorized derivative use or unlicensed reproduction
Optional co-branding for pharma, CRO, or university partnerships
7. Priority Access to SPARC™ Simulator & Validation Engine
Run trial simulations with stratified cohorts
Predict treatment response by subgroup
Generate publication-ready summaries, graphs, and responder maps
Upgrade from experimentation to implementation. A SPARC™ license gives your team the precision logic, regulatory backbone, and data interoperability needed to modernize your trial design, patient targeting, and care insights.
What’s Next
CYNAERA will advance SPARC™ with targeted, resource-conscious steps designed to demonstrate value, attract strategic partners, and expand capabilities without requiring full-scale infrastructure upfront:
Strategic Licensing Conversations CYNAERA is in early-stage discussions with biopharma and international nonprofit organizations to explore licensing SPARC™ for use in clinical trials, particularly for under-stratified conditions like autoimmune overlap and post-infectious syndromes.
Global Alignment Opportunities Initial outreach is underway to identify global health partners—such as the WHO or regional ministries of health, who may benefit from simplified stratification tools for conditions like chronic chikungunya, dengue, or post-MERS where research infrastructure is limited.
Publication Pipeline We plan to submit SPARC™'s methodology for peer-reviewed publication in open-access journals (e.g., PLOS Digital Health or SSRN) to increase academic credibility and draw broader researcher engagement.
SPARC™ v2.0 Scoping (2026 Launch) Future modules are under review for integration, including sickle cell disease (targeting flare prediction and treatment response) and metabolic dysregulation (e.g., mitochondrial dysfunction, insulin resistance). Early prototyping shows potential to stratify patients by crisis frequency, treatment reactivity, and symptom clusters. Potential collaborators include Bridge2AI and firms focused on metabolic precision medicine.
Conclusion
SPARC™ unlocks a path not only to scientific legitimacy, but to regulatory and economic viability. For conditions with no current FDA approvals, it provides a ready-to-deploy architecture for first-in-class, precision-aligned trials, aligning with FDA’s AI/ML Software as a Medical Device (SaMD) guidance and iterative validation frameworks [FDA, 2021]. By pre-modeling patient responses, stratifying risk, and improving trial retention through environmental context and flare prediction, SPARC™ reduces trial failure risk and accelerates design-to-submission timelines.
This has far-reaching implications: even a 10% increase in trial success could yield $1.5 billion in annual R&D efficiency gains across underserved conditions, while enabling first-ever therapies for diseases affecting tens of millions globally [Wouters et al., 2020].
For sponsors, governments, and global health systems, SPARC™ represents a rare dual breakthrough, in precision science and in pipeline economics. It doesn’t just rescue failed trials. It redefines what success looks like.
Ready to Save Millions Per Trial?
→ License SPARC™→ Simulate before you commit→ Reduce time, cost, and uncertainty, all while increasing access and precision.
For more information visit www.cynaera.com/institute or contact cynthia@cynaera.com.
References
Clinical Trial Design & Failure Analysis
DiMasi, J. A., et al. (2016). Innovation in the pharmaceutical industry: New estimates of R&D costs. Journal of Health Economics, 47, 20–33.DOI: 10.1016/j.jhealeco.2016.01.012
Wouters, O. J., et al. (2020). Estimated research and development investment needed to bring a new medicine to market, 2009–2018. JAMA, 323(9), 844–853.DOI: 10.1001/jama.2020.1166
Whiteside, A., et al. (2019). Why clinical trials fail: A systematic review. BMJ Open, 9(4), e029144.DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2019-029144
Kim, E. S., et al. (2021). The evolution of biomarker-guided trial design. Nature Reviews Drug Discovery, 20(12), 887–900.DOI: 10.1038/s41573-021-00272-8
ME/CFS, Long COVID & Post-Infectious Syndromes
Komaroff, A. L. (2021). Advances in understanding the pathophysiology of chronic fatigue syndrome. JAMA, 326(6), 499–500.DOI: 10.1001/jama.2021.8316
Davis, H. E., et al. (2023). Long COVID: Major findings, mechanisms, and recommendations. Nature Reviews Microbiology, 21(3), 133–146.DOI: 10.1038/s41579-022-00846-2
Choutka, J., et al. (2022). Unexplained post-acute infection syndromes. Nature Medicine, 28(5), 911–923.DOI: 10.1038/s41591-022-01810-6
Bateman, L., et al. (2021). Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: Essentials of diagnosis and management. Mayo Clinic Proceedings, 96(11), 2861–2878.DOI: 10.1016/j.mayocp.2021.07.004
Carruthers, B. M., et al. (2011). Myalgic encephalomyelitis: International consensus criteria. Journal of Internal Medicine, 270(4), 327–338.DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2796.2011.02428.x
Jason, L. A., & Johnson, M. (2020). Diagnostic criteria and prevalence rates for ME/CFS. Diagnosis, 7(3), 219–225.DOI: 10.1515/dx-2019-0056
Jason, L. A., et al. (2019). The prevalence of pediatric myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome in a community-based sample. Child & Youth Care Forum, 48(4), 563–579.DOI: 10.1007/s10566-019-09494-9
Chu, L., et al. (2019). Onset patterns and course of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome. Frontiers in Pediatrics, 7, 12.DOI: 10.3389/fped.2019.00012
Baraniuk, J. N. (2017). Chronic fatigue syndrome prevalence is grossly overestimated using Oxford criteria compared to CDC criteria. Fatigue: Biomedicine, Health & Behavior, 5(4), 199–206.DOI: 10.1080/21641846.2017.1364439
Mast Cell Activation (MCAS) & Autoimmunity
Afrin, L. B. (2016). Mast cell activation syndrome: Proposed diagnostic criteria. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 137(2), 581–582.DOI: 10.1016/j.jaci.2015.12.1343
Shoenfeld, Y., et al. (2020). Autoimmune/autoinflammatory syndrome induced by adjuvants (ASIA). Autoimmunity Reviews, 19(6), 102538.DOI: 10.1016/j.autrev.2020.102538
Brewer, J. H., et al. (2017). Detection of mycotoxins in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Toxins, 9(4), 129.DOI: 10.3390/toxins9040129
Dysautonomia & Small Fiber Neuropathy
Raj, S. R., et al. (2021). Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS): Diagnosis and management. Circulation: Arrhythmia and Electrophysiology, 14(6), e009687.DOI: 10.1161/CIRCEP.120.009687
Oaklander, A. L., et al. (2013). Small-fiber neuropathy in fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. Pain, 154(11), 2310–2316.DOI: 10.1016/j.pain.2013.06.037
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Hormonal & Gender-Specific Factors
Su, Y., et al. (2022). Hormonal influences on post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Endocrinology, 163(8), bqac089.DOI: 10.1210/endocr/bqac089
Mauvais-Jarvis, F., et al. (2020). Gender disparities in COVID-19 outcomes. Journal of Clinical Investigation, 130(12), 6292–6295.DOI: 10.1172/JCI145203
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Regulatory & AI/ML Compliance
FDA. (2019). Proposed Regulatory Framework for Modifications to AI/ML-Based Software as a Medical Device (SaMD).https://www.fda.gov/media/122535/download
FDA. (2021). Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in Software as a Medical Device.https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/software-medical-device-samd/artificial-intelligence-and-machine-learning-software-medical-device
Gliklich, R. E., et al. (2020). Registries for evaluating patient outcomes: A user’s guide. AHRQ.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK208643/
Author’s Note:
All insights, frameworks, and recommendations in this white paper reflect the author's independent analysis and synthesis. References to researchers, clinicians, and advocacy organizations acknowledge their contributions to the field but do not imply endorsement of the specific frameworks, conclusions, or policy models proposed herein. This information is not medical guidance.
Applied Infrastructure Models Supporting This Analysis
Several standardized diagnostic and forecasting models developed through CYNAERA were utilized or referenced in the construction of this white paper. These tools support real-time surveillance, economic forecasting, and symptom stabilization planning for infection-associated chronic conditions (IACCs).
Note: These models were developed to bridge critical infrastructure gaps in early diagnosis, stabilization tracking, and economic impact modeling. Select academic and public health partnerships may access these modules under non-commercial terms to accelerate independent research and system modernization efforts.
Licensing and Customization
Enterprise, institutional, and EHR/API integrations are available through CYNAERA Market for organizations seeking to license, customize, or scale CYNAERA's predictive systems.
Learn More: https://www.cynaera.com/systems
About the Author
Cynthia Adinig is an internationally recognized systems strategist, health policy advisor, and the founder of CYNAERA, an AI-powered intelligence platform advancing diagnostic reform, clinical trial simulation, and real-world modeling for infection-associated chronic conditions (IACCs). She has developed 400+ Core AI Frameworks, 1 Billion + Dynamic AI Modules. including the IACC Progression Continuum™, US-CCUC™, and RAEMI™, which reveal hidden prevalence, map disease pathways, and close gaps in access to early diagnosis and treatment.
Her clinical trial simulator, powered by over 675 million synthesized individual profiles, offers unmatched modeling of intervention outcomes for researchers and clinicians.
Cynthia has served as a trusted advisor to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, collaborated with experts at Yale and Mount Sinai, and influenced multiple pieces of federal legislation related to Long COVID and chronic illness.
She has been featured in TIME, Bloomberg, USA Today, and other leading publications. Through CYNAERA, she develops modular AI platforms that operate across 32+ sectors and 180+ countries, with a local commitment to resilience in the Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. region.
SPARC™ Stratification Method v1.0 | Developed by Cynthia Adinig, CYNAERA | Public release date: August 2025 | Includes modules SPARC-T™, SPARC-H™, SPARC-SymCas™, and others.
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