What New US Study Says About Havana Syndrome

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19 March 2024

A new US study has found no evidence that government officials suffering from Havana Syndrome have any "biological abnormalities"


The study was published on Monday by the federally funded National Institutes of Health (NIH)


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It compared test results and MRI imaging of healthy volunteers and 86 US government employees reporting unusual health incidents


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Study participants underwent a battery of clinical, auditory, balance, visual, neuropsychological and blood testing


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They included intelligence personnel who had been stationed in Cuba, China, Vienna and the United States


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However, the US medical research agency stressed that despite its findings, the unexplained ailments "are very real"


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The findings do not match results from a 2019 research by University of Pennsylvania, which showed some subtle brain changes in those affected


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First reported in the Cuban capital Havana in 2016, the syndrome results in vertigo, headaches, cognitive dysfunction and ear-ringing


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Since then, US foreign service and intelligence personnel have reported enduring such symptoms across the world


The exact cause of the syndrome remains elusive, with possible links to high-frequency microwave emissions


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