New Brunswick expert report on mystery brain disorder to be released today
Published February 24, 2022 at 6:59 am
FREDERICTON — The report from a committee of doctors reviewing possible cases of a mysterious neurological disease in New Brunswick is to be released today.
The oversight committee of six neurologists was appointed last October after questions were raised about the existence of a mystery brain syndrome.
Health officials had initially alerted the province’s doctors last March about a potentially new neurological syndrome, and a cluster of 48 patients was identified with symptoms such as rapidly progressing dementia, muscle spasms and atrophy.
However the provincial Health Department website says autopsies on six of the nine patients who have died confirmed they died of known causes.
Families of the 48 patients are to meet virtually with Health Minister Dorothy Shephard ahead of the report’s publication.
Over the past week, many of the patients have received letters from the committee to say they don’t have an unknown neurological condition and should contact their doctor for more details.
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Some of the families says the government has an ethical obligation to do a full scientific study in order to provide answers.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 24, 2022.
The Canadian Press
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