New Study Finds No Brain Injuries Among ‘Havana Syndrome’ Patients

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The U.S. embassy in Havana, Cuba is seen on Jan. 4, 2023.

Lauran Neergaard/APWASHINGTON — An array of advanced tests found no brain injuries or degeneration among U.S. diplomats and other government employees who suffer mysterious health problems once dubbed “Havana syndrome, ” researchers reported Monday.

“These individuals have real symptoms and are going through a very tough time,” said Dr. Leighton Chan, NIH's chief of rehabilitation medicine, who helped lead the research. “They can be quite profound, disabling and difficult to treat.

A subset, about 28%, of Havana syndrome cases were diagnosed with a balance problem called persistent postural-perceptual dizziness, or PPPD. Linked to inner-ear problems as well as severe stress, it results when certain brain networks show no injury but don’t communicate properly. French called it a “maladaptive response,” much like how people who've slouched to alleviate back pain can have posture trouble even after the pain is gone.

"One might suspect that nothing or nothing serious happened with these cases. This would be ill-advised,” wrote Dr. David Relman of Stanford University. In 2022, he was part of a government-appointed panel that couldn't rule out that a pulsed form of energy could explain a subset of cases.

 

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