In Massachusetts between 2012 and 2016 , a number of patients demonstrate to Dr. with a unknown syndrome of unknown lawsuit . Now , five new cases may have helped point scientist to a possible suspect
The original 14 patients all showed sign of cognitive issues , let in orientation course and attention problems , as well as an discriminating anterograde amnestic syndrome .
One patient , Max Meehan , terminate up in hospital disoriented and unaware of his surround . He was still himself , Buzzfeed cover , but like the other patients , he was unable to form new memory . “ We just kept playing the [ same YouTube ] video for Max , ” his mother tell Buzzfeed “ He would express mirth again and again like it was brand new . ”
An MRI scan show two strange glowing bloodless globe in the retentivity - forming region of his brain that encodes new retention , the hippocampus .
As more people showed up at Massachusetts hospitals with the same condition , each with memory problems that live months , doctors tested for what might connect them . All had legal injury to the hippocampus , but it turned out 12 of the 14 patients were also found to have traces of opioids in their organisation . However , this alone would n’t account for their symptom .
Massachusetts public wellness official make out the condition as a " reportable disease " in 2017 , and since then Doctor have been on the observation post for new cases reporting symptoms of the syndrome in the promise of regain an explanation .
Now five more sheath of the condition , four of them key in theNew England Journal of Medicine , have avail researcher happen a link between them , and may just excuse the crusade .
The four affected role , aged between 28 and 37 , all had histories of heroin use , like the others . However , in these new cases , doctors rank tests for synthetic opioids that are n’t presently pick up by routine tests for morphine , heroin or oxycodone .
These new patient all had one affair in unwashed : They all test positive for fentanyl .
The researchers are conservative in their findings , but drew attention to the link between fentanyl and the shape .
" Another unnamed drug , adulterant , or contaminant can not be excluded as a case of the amnesic syndrome,“they write in the subject .
" However , the presence of Sublimaze in the four extra patients described here strengthens an connexion of fentanyl with this syndrome , and fentanyl was the only drug find in two of the four patient . "
They think the syndrome may be appearing to be on the rise due to an increase in fentanyl in illicit drug . They write that Sublimaze has been shown to create neuronal damage in the genus Hippocampus of rats in previous study , suggest the link between the syndrome and Sublimaze is potential .
Another case in January of this class affirm trace of Sublimaze in a 30 - year - previous man present the same symptoms in West Virginia . Now doctors are recommending anyone confront with the syndrome should be screened for fentanyl , where a history of sum abuse is present .
