Original ArticleOpen Access

Re-analysis of MRI Findings in Validated Havana Syndrome Cases (AHI1) in Peirpaoli et al. (2024) and Comparative Insights from Verma et al. (2019)

DOI: 10.23958/ijirms/vol11-i01/2152· Pages: 08 - 14· Vol. 11, No. 01, (2026)· Published: January 2, 2026
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Abstract

Anomalous Health Incidents (AHIs) of the Havana Syndrome involve sudden onset of neurological, sensory, and vestibular symptoms occurring simultaneously, followed by chronic deficits. A 2024 NIH neuroimaging study concluded “no significant MRI-detectable evidence of brain injury”. We re- analyzed Pierpaoli et al. (2024) by extracting imaging results for 43 AHI1 patients (AHI cases validated by neuro-vestibular-otolithic criteria) and 48 matched controls. AHI1 cases exhibited a consistent pattern of subtle changes. Resting-state fMRI revealed significantly reduced functional connectivity in the salience network (insula and anterior cingulate hubs) in AHI1 compared to controls (adjusted p ~0.02 for network connectivity). DTI measures did not differ after correction, but nominal microstructural abnormalities (uncorrected p < 0.05) were noted in midline white-matter tracts. The corpus callosum (body and genu) of AHI1 patients showed ~2-3% lower return-to-axis probability, and the right cingulum and inferior cerebellar peduncle also showed slight diffusivity reductions (all trend-level). These new AHI1-specific findings were then compared to the previous neuroimaging studies in AHI1 group by Verma et al. (2019). Conclusion: Focused analysis of validated AHI1 patients in Pierpaoli et al. (2024) reveals reduced connectivity in salience network, while subtle white-matter microstructural alterations closely parallel those of the Verma et al. (2019) AHI1 cases. This strengthens the evidence that AHI1 phenotype represents a genuine diffuse brain injury syndrome. Advanced neuroimaging and qEEG techniques may be required to sensitively detect AHI1-related brain abnormalities. Public health efforts are warranted to issue diagnostic criteria and address cases in both governmental and civilian populations.

Keywords

Havana Syndrome Anomalous Health Incidents MRIqEEGdiagnostic criteriaNIHCDC

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Author details
Len Ber, MD
Medical Director, Targeted Justice, Inc. Houston, TX.
✉ Corresponding Author
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