"Havana Syndrome" becomes more mysterious after examining the brains of those affected

Two new medical studies have found that US government officials with a condition known as "Havana Syndrome" showed no noticeable physical damage or change.

Studies conducted by the National Institutes of Health, which lasted about five years, provide no explanation for the symptoms of “Havana Syndrome,” including headaches, balance problems, and difficulties thinking and sleeping, which were first reported in Cuba in 2016, and later by hundreds of employees. Americans in multiple countries.

Staff at the American and Canadian embassies in Havana at the time faced a host of unusual and unexplained health problems, which included ringing in their ears, nausea, dizziness, loss of balance, problems with memory and concentration, sensitivity to light and sound, and irritability, along with a sensation of intense pressure or vibration in their heads. These are described as abnormal health incidents (AHIs).

These abnormal health incidents led to speculation that they had been hit with a microwave weapon or directed energy device, but this was never proven.

While scientists try to explain these surprising symptoms, a team of researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conducted a series of tests to see if they could find the root cause.

“These individuals have real symptoms and are having a very difficult time,” said Dr. Leighton Chan, chief of the Division of Rehabilitation Medicine at the National Institutes of Health, who helped lead the studies. “It can be very profound and disabling and difficult to treat.”

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However, sophisticated MRI scans revealed no significant differences in brain size, structure, or white matter (signs of injury or degeneration) when Havana Syndrome patients were compared to healthy government employees working in similar jobs, including a number of Workers in the same embassy.

There were no significant differences in cognitive and other tests, according to results published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

The researchers said it was good news that they were unable to detect long-term signs in brain scans that are typical after trauma or stroke.

A subset (about 28%) of Havana Syndrome cases were diagnosed with a balance problem called persistent perceptual postural dizziness, or PPPD. This disease is associated with inner ear problems in addition to severe stress, and results when some brain networks do not appear to be injured but do not communicate properly. The French called it the “maladaptive response.”

Soaps with abnormal health incidents reported more fatigue, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and depression.

These results are the latest in an attempt to unravel the mystery of this condition. Dr. Louis French, a study co-researcher, said the post-traumatic stress and mood symptoms reported are not surprising given the ongoing concerns of many participants.

Adding: “Often these individuals have experienced significant disruption in their lives and still have concerns about their health and future. This level of stress can have significant negative effects on the recovery process.”

Researchers say that if the symptoms are caused by some external phenomenon, such as a directed energy weapon, they are without persistent or detectable physical changes.