Study finds no evidence to support New Brunswick’s ‘mystery brain disease’

By Canadian Press on May 7, 2025.

FREDERICTON — A scientific analysis has found no evidence to support claims of a mystery brain disease in New Brunswick.

The study was published today in the journal JAMA Neurology.

It says “unfounded concerns” of a potentially fatal mystery disease were amplified in traditional and social media.

The study reviewed the cases of 25 patients evaluated at two hospitals in New Brunswick and Ontario and found their symptoms could be traced back to several known neurodegenerative and non-neurodegenerative conditions.

It concludes that inaccurate clinical assessments and an overreliance on non-standard laboratory tests may have led patients to be misdiagnosed.

The study’s results are similar to a provincial review launched by the former Progressive Conservative government that investigated 48 patients with symptoms such as bursts of intense pain, muscle spasms, memory problems, balance issues, and behavioural changes, and found no evidence of a common illness.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2025.

The Canadian Press