Diplomats' Mystery Illness and Pulsed Radiofrequency/Microwave Radiation

Abstract

Diplomats' Mystery Illness and Pulsed Radiofrequency/Microwave Radiation Golomb B. Diplomats' mystery illness and pulsed radiofrequency/microwave radiation. Neural Comput. 2018 Sep 5. doi: 10.1162/neco_a_01133. Abstract IMPORTANCE: A "mystery" illness striking US and Canadian diplomats to Cuba (and now China) "has confounded the FBI, the State Department and US intelligence agencies." Sonic explanations for the so-called "health attacks" have long dominated media reports, propelled by peculiar sounds heard and auditory symptoms experienced. Sonic mediation was justly rejected by experts. We assessed whether pulsed radiofrequency/microwave radiation (RF/MW) exposure can accommodate reported facts in diplomats, including unusual ones. OBSERVATIONS: 1. Noises: Chirping, ringing or grinding noises were heard at night, during episodes reportedly triggering health problems, by many diplomats. Pulsed RF/MW engenders just these "sounds" via the "Frey effect." Ability to hear the sounds depends on high frequency hearing and low ambient noise. "Sounds" differ by head dimensions. 2. Signs/symptoms: Hearing loss and tinnitus are prominent in affected diplomats - and in RF/MW-affected individuals. Each of protean symptoms that diplomats report, also affect persons reporting symptoms from RF/MW: Sleep problems, headaches, and cognitive problems dominate in both groups. Sensations of pressure or vibration figure in each. Both encompass vision, balance and speech problems, and nosebleeds. Brain injury and brain swelling are reported in both. 3. Mechanisms: Oxidative stress provides a documented mechanism of RF/MW injury compatible with reported signs and symptoms; sequelae of endothelial dysfunction (yielding blood flow compromise), membrane damage, blood brain barrier disruption, mitochondrial injury, apoptosis, and autoimmune triggering afford downstream mechanisms, of varying persistence, that merit investigation. 4. Of note, microwaving of the US embassy in Moscow is historically documented. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Reported facts appear consistent with RF/MW as the source of injury in Cuba diplomats. Non-diplomats citing symptoms from RF/MW, often with an inciting pulsed-RF/MW exposure, report compatible health conditions. Under the RF/MW hypothesis, lessons learned for diplomats and for RF/MW- affected "civilians" may each aid the other. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

AI evidence extraction

Main findings

The paper assesses whether pulsed radiofrequency/microwave radiation could account for reported facts in diplomats with the "mystery" illness and argues that reported noises, signs/symptoms, and proposed mechanisms are consistent with RF/MW exposure (including via the Frey effect for perceived sounds). It notes that similar symptoms are reported by non-diplomats who attribute symptoms to RF/MW exposure.

Outcomes measured

• auditory perceptions/noises (chirping, ringing, grinding)
• hearing loss
• tinnitus
• sleep problems
• headaches
• cognitive problems
• sensations of pressure or vibration
• vision problems
• balance problems
• speech problems
• nosebleeds
• brain injury
• brain swelling
• oxidative stress and related biological mechanisms (endothelial dysfunction, membrane damage, blood-brain barrier disruption, mitochondrial injury, apoptosis, autoimmune triggering)

Limitations

• Narrative assessment/consistency argument rather than a controlled epidemiologic or experimental study (as described in the abstract)
• No exposure measurements (frequency, power, SAR) reported in the abstract
• No sample size or quantitative effect estimates reported in the abstract

Suggested hubs

• who-icnirp (0.2)
  Discusses potential health effects/mechanisms of RF/MW exposure relevant to exposure guidelines, though no specific policy body is analyzed.

{
    "study_type": "review",
    "exposure": {
        "band": "RF",
        "source": null,
        "frequency_mhz": null,
        "sar_wkg": null,
        "duration": null
    },
    "population": "US and Canadian diplomats to Cuba (and China) described as affected by a \"mystery\" illness; also references to non-diplomats reporting symptoms from RF/MW exposure",
    "sample_size": null,
    "outcomes": [
        "auditory perceptions/noises (chirping, ringing, grinding)",
        "hearing loss",
        "tinnitus",
        "sleep problems",
        "headaches",
        "cognitive problems",
        "sensations of pressure or vibration",
        "vision problems",
        "balance problems",
        "speech problems",
        "nosebleeds",
        "brain injury",
        "brain swelling",
        "oxidative stress and related biological mechanisms (endothelial dysfunction, membrane damage, blood-brain barrier disruption, mitochondrial injury, apoptosis, autoimmune triggering)"
    ],
    "main_findings": "The paper assesses whether pulsed radiofrequency/microwave radiation could account for reported facts in diplomats with the \"mystery\" illness and argues that reported noises, signs/symptoms, and proposed mechanisms are consistent with RF/MW exposure (including via the Frey effect for perceived sounds). It notes that similar symptoms are reported by non-diplomats who attribute symptoms to RF/MW exposure.",
    "effect_direction": "unclear",
    "limitations": [
        "Narrative assessment/consistency argument rather than a controlled epidemiologic or experimental study (as described in the abstract)",
        "No exposure measurements (frequency, power, SAR) reported in the abstract",
        "No sample size or quantitative effect estimates reported in the abstract"
    ],
    "evidence_strength": "very_low",
    "confidence": 0.7399999999999999911182158029987476766109466552734375,
    "peer_reviewed_likely": "yes",
    "keywords": [
        "diplomats",
        "Cuba",
        "China",
        "mystery illness",
        "Havana syndrome",
        "pulsed radiofrequency",
        "microwave radiation",
        "Frey effect",
        "hearing loss",
        "tinnitus",
        "oxidative stress"
    ],
    "suggested_hubs": [
        {
            "slug": "who-icnirp",
            "weight": 0.200000000000000011102230246251565404236316680908203125,
            "reason": "Discusses potential health effects/mechanisms of RF/MW exposure relevant to exposure guidelines, though no specific policy body is analyzed."
        }
    ]
}

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