Havana Syndrome: The Puzzle Still Awaits Completion
30th of March 2024
Mystery illness among U.S. diplomats did not cause permanent brain damage
Two new studies did not find long-lasting neurological changes seen in earlier research on illness previously dubbed Havana syndrome. But that’s like comparing “apples with artichokes,” says Douglas Smith, director of UPenn’s Center for Brain Injury and Repair and a co-author of the 2019 JAMA report. “The new studies include such different cohorts, timelines, and locations of purported exposures from ours that they cannot possibly be considered as replication studies,” he says. https://www.science.org/content/article/mystery-illness-among-u-s-diplomats-did-not-cause-permanent-brain-damage
The studies:
•Neuroimaging Findings in US Government Personnel and Their Family Members Involved in Anomalous Health Incidents
Conclusions and Relevance: In this exploratory neuroimaging study, there were no significant differences in imaging measures of brain structure or function between individuals reporting AHIs and matched control participants after adjustment for multiple comparisons. Ref. Pierpaoli C, Nayak A, Hafiz R, et al. Neuroimaging Findings in US Government Personnel and Their Family Members Involved in Anomalous Health Incidents. JAMA. Published online March 18, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.2424 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2816532
•Clinical, Biomarker, and Research Tests Among US Government Personnel and Their Family Members Involved in Anomalous Health Incidents
Conclusions and Relevance; In this exploratory study, there were no significant differences between individuals reporting AHIs and matched control participants with respect to most clinical, research, and biomarker measures, except for objective and self-reported measures of imbalance and symptoms of fatigue, post traumatic stress, and depression. This study did not replicate the findings of previous studies, although differences in the populations included and the timing of assessments limit direct comparisons. Ref. Chan L, Hallett M, Zalewski CK, et al. Clinical, Biomarker, and Research Tests Among US Government Personnel and Their Family Members Involved in Anomalous Health Incidents. JAMA. Published online March 18, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2024.2413 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2816533
Editorial – Neurological Illness and National Security Lessons to Be Learned Ref. Relman DA. Neurological Illness and National Security: Lessons to Be Learned. JAMA. Published online March 18, 2024. doi:10.1001/jama.2023.26818 https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2816534
NIH Havana syndrome mystery deepens as landmark study looks at brain injuries in patients
And in an editorial in JAMA on Monday, one scientist called for more research to prepare for the next such health mystery, cautioning that NIH’s study design plus the limits of existing medical technology could have missed some clues.
“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. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/havana-syndrome-meaning-symptoms-brain-injuries-b2514795.html
Bears repeating.
David Relman on #HavanaSyndrome in JAMA today:
“Given the circumstances, a coordinated national research effort that examines the cellular, tissue, and clinical effects of focused, pulsed forms of EM and acoustic energy is warranted.”https://t.co/Fw1THOYTfx— Louis Slesin (@LouisSlesin) March 19, 2024
A study found no brain injuries linked to Havana Syndrome. Participants question the research.
A study by the National Institutes of Health spanning four years did not find signs of brain injuries in people affected by the mysterious ailment known as Havana Syndrome, but the results, published Monday in a medical journal, have been disputed by participants who accused authors of bias and mishandling confidential medical information.
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article286861020.html#storylink=cpy
The Most Extensive Study Yet of ‘Havana Syndrome’ Turns Up… Nada?
Ref. The Most Extensive Study Yet of ‘Havana Syndrome’ Turns Up… Nada? – Medscape – Mar 19, 2024.
https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/1000433
Havana Syndrome Mystery Deepens Further After Brain Scan Analysis
https://www.sciencealert.com/havana-syndrome-mystery-deepens-further-after-brain-scan-analysis
Havana syndrome: will we ever understand what happened? – podcast
In late 2016, US officials in Cuba’s capital began experiencing a mysterious and often debilitating set of symptoms that came to be known as Havana syndrome. As two new studies into the condition are published, Ian Sample speaks to the Guardian’s world affairs editor, Julian Borger, who has been following the story, and to the consultant neurologist Prof Jon Stone, about what could be behind the condition
(2022) Executive_Summary DNI.gov https://www.dni.gov/files/ODNI/documents/assessments/2022_02_01_AHI_Executive_Summary_FINAL_Redacted.pdf
Articles published in the International Journal of Social Psychiatry
Editorial – When politics obstructs self-correction in science
Conspiracy theories and false beliefs are usually not endorsed by scientific bodies or government agencies, which tend to counteract their propagation. However, the case of the ‘Havana Syndrome’ seems to be an exception. Unfortunately, for almost 6 years, the dubious idea that U.S. diplomats and spies worldwide were suffering from a novel brain disorder caused by attacks with a mysterious ‘energy’ weapon prospered in the mainstream media. Ref. Valdes-Sosa M. When politics obstructs self-correction in science. International Journal of Social Psychiatry. 2023;0(0). doi:10.1177/00207640231207571
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00207640231207571
Companion article:
“Havana Syndrome”: A post mortem
Results/Conclusions: Several factors led to the erroneous classification of “Havana Syndrome” as a novel entity including the failure to stay within the limitations of the data; the withholding of information by intelligence agencies, the prevalence of popular misconceptions about psychogenic illness, the inability to identify historical parallels; the role of the media, and the mixing of politics with science. Ref. Bartholomew RE, Baloh RW. “Havana Syndrome”: A post mortem. Int J Soc Psychiatry. 2024 Mar;70(2):402-405. doi: 10.1177/00207640231208374. Epub 2023 Dec 25. PMID: 38146090; PMCID: PMC10913303.https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/00207640231208374
Politics dictating on science is like a gunshot in a concert
Commentary to ‘Havana Syndrome: A Post Mortem’
“scientists should aim at collecting sound data with impeccable methods, not piloted by a priori political frames. Had we done so, the Havana syndrome would have never appeared”. Ref. Della Sala S. Politics dictating on science is like a gunshot in a concert. International Journal of Social Psychiatry. 2023;0(0). doi: 10.1177/00207640231208373 https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00207640231208373
Why the Havana Syndrome Happened
If, as Bartholomew and Baloh conclude, there was no weapon and no brain injuries, how could such a catastrophic misdiagnosis occur? The deeper issues underlying the events must be addressed otherwise the saga will never end, and worse, it will be repeated in a different situation. The reasons the Havana Syndrome persists today are the same reasons that spawned the episode in the first place – lost credibility in once trusted authorities and institutions. The critical question, then, is how could so many different trusted entities – journalism, scientific publication, medicine, and government, collapse in failure to perform their prime functions? Ref. Fields RD. Why the Havana Syndrome Happened. International Journal of Social Psychiatry. 2023;0(0). doi:10.1177/00207640231212865
Congress to look at intelligence agencies’ handling of Havana Syndrome investigation
Following complaints by some of the U.S. officials affected by what came to be known as Havana Syndrome, the House Intelligence Committee will open a formal investigation into how U.S. intelligence agencies handled the inquiry into the mysterious incidents and why they concluded the ailments were likely caused by stress and other factors and not by an attack by a foreign adversary.
Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/cuba/article285578952.html#storylink=cpy