Acute findings in an acquired neurosensory dysfunction

Abstract

Background In the Autumn of 2016, diplomatic personnel residing in Havana began to present with symptoms of dizziness, ear pain, and tinnitus that emerged after perception of high frequency noise and/or a pressure sensation. Understanding the acute symptoms of this disorder is important for better defining the disorder and developing optimal diagnostic, preventive, and treatment algorithms. Objectives To define the presenting symptoms in a cohort of patients in the acute time period after perceiving a noise/pressure exposure in Havana. Design/Settings/Participants Review of 25 symptomatic individuals who reported a localized sensation of noise/pressure and 10 asymptomatic individuals (roommates of those affected) who did not experience the sound/pressure. Results Immediately after the exposure, the majority of individuals reported intense ear pain in one or both ears and experienced tinnitus. All of the individuals noticed unsteadiness and features of cognitive impairment. On presentation to our center, dizziness (92%) and cognitive complaints (56%) were the most common symptoms. Formal testing revealed that 100% of individuals had an otolithic abnormality and evidence of cognitive dysfunction. Conclusion and Relevance This study focuses on the acute presentation of a phenomenon in which symptoms emerge after perception of a localized noise/pressure and in which the acute symptomology includes the universal nature of vestibular injuries and select cognitive deficits. The findings presented in this acute group of patients begin to provide a better picture of the initial injury pattern seen after this exposure and may allow for more accurate diagnosis of this disorder in future cases. Level of Evidence Retrospective review

Havana Syndrome Among Canadian Diplomats: Brain Imaging Reveals Acquired Neurotoxicity

“…The corresponding components were removed, and the data was visually inspected in the time domain to remove time segments containing clear artifacts. Spectral analysis by fast furrier transform (FFT) and bandwidth power (1)(2)(3)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17)(18)(19)(20) were calculated for each channel buffered into 2-second long epochs with 1-second overlap, averaged across all epochs, normalized to the total power of the respective channel, and averaged across all channels to compare between subjects. For each activity epoch, the median-power frequency (MPF) was extracted.…”

Increased hippocampal GABAergic inhibition after long-term high-intensity sound exposure

“…Exposure to loud noises has been related to several deleterious mental and systemic effects [1,2], in addition to auditory maladies as deafness, hyperacusis and tinnitus [3,4]. Exposure to loud sound is an increasing source of acoustic pollution, both from occupational and recreational sources, and health problems related to sound exposure are increasingly common, even in juveniles [5,6,7].…”

Pulsed Microwave Energy Transduction of Acoustic Phonon Related Brain Injury

“…The commonality of dimensions of phonon excitation may account for these dimensional similarities. Later symptoms displayed by embassy personnel also appear to mimic injury characteristics of mTBI caused by primary low-level blast (1)(2)(3). In addition to presenting a consistent physical nanoscale model of brain damage, the present working hypothesis may also explain why pulsed microwaves are more damaging than continuous wave microwaves.…”

“…Amplitude of microwave exposure of 1 volt/mm resulted in a sizable strain of 1.5 × 10 4 . Measurements of bone dielectric properties indicate that molecules in bone also respond to low GHz radiation values (20) 1 . Sufficiently large microwave power could send energy to the ear directly through the bone sensed by affected individuals as painful and damaging to hearing.…”