[Science Daily] A comprehensive evaluation by clinical researchers at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania identified a neurological syndrome that left U.S. government personnel serving in Havana, Cuba with persistent memory and thinking dysfunction, as well as vision and balance problems after hearing unusual noises in their homes or hotel rooms. The team published their findings in JAMA."None of these patients have suffered any type of blunt head trauma, yet the symptoms they describe and evaluations demonstrate are remarkably similar to those found in persistent concussion syndrome," said the study's senior author, Douglas H. Smith, MD, the Robert A. Groff Professor and vice chair of Research and Education in the department of Neurosurgery and director of Penn's Center for Brain Injury and Repair. "It appears that we have identified a new syndrome that may have important public health implications."
In fall of 2016, U.S. government personnel serving in Havana began to report a variety of neurological symptoms often linked with hearing unusual noises in their homes and hotel rooms. Initial examinations were mainly performed at the University of Miami, revealing that the neurological signs resembled concussions. Penn's Center for Brain Injury and Repair was then selected to coordinate multidisciplinary evaluation, treatment, and rehabilitation of the patients, beginning in summer 2017. Participating Penn specialists included faculty from the departments of physical medicine and rehabilitation, occupational medicine, neurology, neuropsychology, neurosurgery, and neuroradiology.
