Author ORCID Identifier
https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9895-8692
Abstract
Background
Since 2016, U.S. and Canadian officials have reported Anomalous Health Incidents (AHIs), or "Havana Syndrome," characterised by a strange sensory experience followed by chronic neurological, cognitive, and vestibular issues. The cause is intensely debated, with primary hypotheses pointing to either psychosocial factors or a directed-energy weapon, creating a significant medical and geopolitical puzzle.
Methods
This review critically assesses the current evidence by analysing peer-reviewed clinical studies and major institutional reports.
Results
The findings are deeply contradictory. A 2020 NASEM report identified directed, pulsed radiofrequency energy as the most plausible mechanism for a core set of symptoms. Conversely, comprehensive 2024 NIH studies found no consistent evidence of brain injury or biological markers, and a 2023 Intelligence assessment concluded foreign adversary involvement was "very unlikely."
Conclusions
The etiology of AHIs remains unresolved due to profound discrepancies between major institutional findings. This scientific uncertainty persists even as policy decisions have been implemented to provide care for affected personnel. The situation highlights the immense challenge of addressing a health crisis at the complex intersection of medicine, psychology, and national security.
Publication Date
2025
Publisher
JSS Academy of Higher Education & Research
Keywords
Havana Syndrome, anomalous health incidents, mass hysteria, psychogenic illness, psychiatry
Word Count
2951
Recommended Citation
Dutta A.
Havana Syndrome: A Scientific Review of an Unresolved Medical Mystery.
Digital Journal of Clinical Medicine.
2025;
7(3):
-.
doi:
https://doi.org/10.55691/2582-3868.1256
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
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