Latest news with #brainDisease
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Mysterious explosion of brain diseases in rural city takes shocking twist
Public health officials investigating a mysterious brain disease in Canada have finally released the findings of a long-awaited study — and not everyone is convinced. Since 2019, a small town in New Brunswick — a Canadian province bordering Maine — has experienced hundreds of cases of people suffering from hallucinations, spasms, rapid memory loss and the sensation of bugs crawling under the skin. More than 500 people in the area, mostly in the city of Moncton, were reported to have the disease by local neurologist Dr Alier Marrero, who was the first to raise the alarm. However, as no definitive diagnosis has ever been made, the area was reported to be suffering from a 'mystery' brain disease. But now, after examining two dozen of those cases, researchers say the odds that a new illness has emerged are less than one in a million — and they believe the patients were instead suffering from known conditions like Alzheimer's. Patients and their families are raising concerns over the study, however, after it was revealed scientists on the study had previously received fundingfroma company suspected by some locals to be involved in the outbreak. Online records reveal scientists on the study worked at a hospital that had received $2million from Irving Oil, which extracts hydrocarbons in the state — with some locals suggesting pollution from these could have been behind the cases. The scientists who led the study strongly refuted claims that this had any influence over their research, adding that the funding was for a completely separate project. The 'mystery illness' theory gained traction in 2021 when Canadian health authorities began investigating cases based on Dr Marrero's reports. Patients were recorded in Moncton, home to 79,000 people, and in a sparsely populated area in its north called the Acadian Peninsula. While more than 500 were reported, researchers found 222 patients. Known as New Brunswick neurological syndrome of unknown cause, people became concerned in the area that it was being caused by something in the water. Doctors initially suggested patients had Cruetzfeldt-Jakob Disease, or Prion disease, an extremely rare group of neurologic conditions caused by misfolded proteins in the brain. But tests for this came back negative. After a two-year investigation of 25 of the patients, scientists from the University of Toronto and the Horizon Health Network concluded there was 'no support for an undiagnosed mystery disease in New Brunswick' and their research 'revealed well-defined diagnoses.' Published in the US-based journal JAMA, researchers involved in the study contacted 105 patients in the cluster for evaluation. Of these, 52 declined further contact while 42 did not respond. In total, 15 patients were evaluated. Scientists also obtained permission to perform autopsies on the bodies of 11 additional patients in the cluster who had died. Their causes of death were not revealed. Evaluations were carried out between November 2023 and March 2025. Based on autopsies, among patients who had died, seven had a form of dementia. One had adenocarcinoma — a malignant tumor — one had progressive supranuclear palsy — a rare disease that affects walking, balance and swallowing — and one had vascular dementia. Another patient had unremarkable autopsy findings, but had previously been diagnosed with a primary psychiatric disorder. The doctors said all these diseases could have caused the symptoms that were considered to be part of the mystery cluster. Researchers noted there was an absence of one specific change in the brain across all groups that may suggest common exposure to one factor. Among the 14 patients that came forward for neurological tests, 10 agreed to a second evaluation by four movement disorder neurologists and two behavioral neurologists. Previously, the patients had only been assessed by Dr Marrero. He had found all 10 patients had myoclonus — a disorder causing sudden and involuntary muscle jerks — while seven had ataxia — a neurological condition caused by a lack of muscle coordination. But in the new study, only one of the reassessed patients was found to have a cognitive disorder while two were found to have a psychiatric disorder. Five others were found to have no cognitive deficits, while two were found to be normal. None were found to have myoclonus or ataxia as Dr Marrero had suggested. The researchers said they found 'meaningful discrepancies' between the documented initial history of the patients' conditions and their findings on the second assessment. This included three patients reported to have experienced hallucinations, whose symptoms were not confirmed on second evaluation. And 10 patients initially reported to have a neurological disorder, with this not found on follow-up. In their conclusion, the researchers said their investigation highlighted the importance of getting a second evaluation for a neurological diagnosis. They also said their findings highlighted the erosion of public trust in institutions, which has been blamed on Covid vaccine mandates in the pandemic. Marrero responded to the study, however, telling NBC News: 'I am in profound disagreement with the study conclusions and have many questions regarding the methods and the content. 'I am sure that our patients, families, and communities share the same very serious concerns.' Additionally, the study lists several potential notes under the 'conflicts of interest' heading, including that some of the authors had previously worked for Canadian health authorities and a number of pharmaceutical companies - with some saying it calls into question the researchers' objectivity. The New Brunswick government's investigation into the outbreak is ongoing, with the state's chief medical officer saying this week that it would continue. Dr Yves Léger said the new study 'doesn't change my office's intention to complete its own investigation into cases of undiagnosed neurological illness in New Brunswick.'
CBC
08-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
Holt says N.B. to keep studying mysterious cluster of sick people, despite report
A report in the Journal of the American Medical Association says there's no mystery brain disease in New Brunswick, but Premier Susan Holt says the province's own investigation will continue.
CBC
08-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
No mystery brain disease in New Brunswick, study finds
A new scientific study has found no evidence of a mystery brain disease in New Brunswick, says a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Instead, an independent reassessment of 25 of 222 patients diagnosed by Moncton neurologist Alier Marrero as having a 'neurological syndrome of unknown cause' concluded that all of the cases could be attributed to well-known conditions.
CBC
07-05-2025
- Health
- CBC
New study says known diseases explain ‘mystery' symptoms reported in N.B.
A new scientific study that assessed 25 patients has found no evidence of a mystery brain disease in New Brunswick, says a report published in Journal of the American Medical Association.
Gizmodo
07-05-2025
- Health
- Gizmodo
This Brain Disease Terrified Canada. A New Study Claims It Never Existed
Research published today explores the mystery behind a reported cluster of an unknown brain disease in New Brunswick, Canada. Neurologists in Canada led the study, published Wednesday in JAMA Neurology. They analyzed over two dozen suspected cases of the mystery illness, finding no evidence that the patients' symptoms were caused by a novel disease or shared environmental trigger. This study is unlikely to be the final word, however, as the local government has launched a new investigation into the apparent cluster. In March 2021, a memo from New Brunswick health officials to health care workers was leaked to the press. It warned doctors that an unusual number of residents in the area were being diagnosed with neurological symptoms that had no clear cause. These symptoms included dementia, rapid weight loss, trouble moving, and hallucinations. Early tests appeared to rule out possible known culprits for the cluster, such as prions—rogue, potentially transmissible, proteins that slowly destroy the brain. Neurologist Alier Marrero was the first doctor to come across these cases, some of which may date as far back as 2013. In 2020, he began to report them to officials at the Public Health New Brunswick. The cases were classified as a neurological syndrome of unknown cause (NSUC). By the time the memo became public, 48 possible NSUC cases had been identified, with several patients having died from their symptoms. PHNB officials eventually created an oversight committee of experts to review these early cases. In February 2022, the committee published its findings. They concluded that the patients did not seem to share a 'common illness'—instead, their symptoms were caused by a variety of known neurological conditions. Later that same month, the New Brunswick government declared the investigation closed. But the story didn't end there. Marrero, along with people who believe they have NSUC and other advocates, has continued to argue that the cluster is real—and potentially much larger than officially reported, possibly affecting hundreds. They've further alleged that local and federal governments hampered the original investigation by barring some experts from participating; by failing to include many suspected cases for consideration; and by ignoring possible causes, such as certain environmental agents. This new study is the work of neurologists from across Canada, including experts from the Moncton Interdisciplinary Neurodegenerative Diseases (MIND) Clinic in New Brunswick, where many NSUC patients were first evaluated. The researchers analyzed autopsy data from 11 people who died after being diagnosed with NSUC, and re-examined 14 other patients who agreed to get a second evaluation at the MIND Clinic. As with the earlier investigation, the researchers failed to find a single underlying cause, let alone a novel one, for the illnesses. They concluded that all 25 cases could be explained by other known conditions and causes, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's, and traumatic brain injury. They also argued that at least some of the NSUC cases may have been misdiagnosed due to inaccurate clinical assessments and an overreliance on non-definitive tests that could be misinterpreted, such as electroencephalograms (EEGs). 'We have found no support for the existence of an undiagnosed mystery disease in New Brunswick,' the authors wrote. 'The broad range of very different, well-recognized diseases diagnosed is also strong evidence against a single environmental toxin causing the patients' symptoms.' These cases are only a small sample of the potential suspected cases of NSUC in New Brunswick, however, and the findings are unlikely to close the door on the matter. Marrero continues to urge local officials to investigate the cluster and has submitted dozens more reports of suspected cases. Last year, during the provincial election campaign in New Brunswick, candidate Susan Holt promised that she would reopen the government's investigation if elected premier—a promise she has kept. The Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health in New Brunswick, the Vitalité Health Network, and the Public Health Agency of Canada, are now once again investigating the cluster. Yves Léger, the chief medical officer of health, stated in March that the office has begun to analyze 222 cases referred to it by Marrero. A public report on the cluster is expected by this summer. In their paper, the researchers noted that over 100 patients diagnosed with NSUC were offered a second evaluation at the MIND Clinic in 2022, but most declined or didn't respond. In some cases, they added, people who were given a different diagnosis the second time refused to accept it. And they argue that the initial public and media fervor over these cases, along with other factors, may have impeded people from trusting other doctors or alternative explanations. 'Clear and transparent communication strategies to report the much-needed reevaluations are required,' they wrote. 'Education, reassurance, and mental health support should also be prioritized for patients and families who have been profoundly impacted by claims that a potentially fatal mystery disease continues to affect them.'
