UK Study Finds No Connection Between Gulf War And Veterans ¹ Neuromuscular Symptoms

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Source: Veterans¹ Neuromuscular Symptoms

Date:

11/26/2002

UK Study Finds No Connection Between Gulf War And Veterans¹ Neuromuscular

Symptoms

ST. PAUL, MN ­ As in the United States, United Kingdom veterans who were

deployed to the Gulf War in 1990 to 1991 have reported a higher prevalence

of neuromuscular symptoms than soldiers who served elsewhere.

Much debate and several medical studies, as well as conspiracy and cover-up

theories, have commenced over the years regarding troops' exposures to

potentially hazardous substances during the Gulf conflict.

A recent study, published in the November 26 issue of Neurology, the

scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology, finds no Gulf War

association with specific impairments of peripheral nerves, neuromuscular

junction or skeletal muscles. " By including representative comparison

groups, and through the use of robust and highly sensitive neurophysiologic

tests, we provide convincing evidence that the symptoms reported by Gulf War

veterans are not associated with objective dysfunction resulting from

service in the Gulf, " said study author M. K. Sharief, MD, PhD, of Guy's

Hospital, London.

For the study, 142 military men from the Royal Navy, Army and Royal Air

Force were randomly selected from 8,195 service personnel who had completed

health and health outcomes questionnaires in 1997 and 1998. Subjects

included those who were deployed to the Gulf region during the 1990 ­ 1991

conflict, to the Bosnia conflict between 1992 and 1997, and those UK

servicemen who served during the Gulf War but were not deployed there. Of

the 142 selected, 110 consented to participate, representing four clinical

groups: 26 " healthy " Gulf War veterans, 49 symptomatic Gulf War veterans, 13

symptomatic Bosnian veterans, and 22 symptomatic troops who were not

deployed to the Gulf region.

Symptoms reported among the subjects included fatigue, joint stiffness,

muscle weakness, muscle pain (myalgia), sensory symptoms such as numbness,

and autonomic symptoms such as Gulf War And Veterans' Neuromuscular

disturbances of bladder, bowel, or sexual functions.

Researchers conducted clinical assessments and nerve conduction studies,

quantitative sensory and autonomic function tests, and electromyography with

all subjects. " Physical examinations of all participants were generally

unremarkable, " notes Sharief. Manual testing of muscle power and

coordination, assessment of deep tendon reflexes, and clinical sensory

evaluation showed no abnormalities.

Detailed sensory nerve conduction studies of the Gulf-ill veterans were

comparable to the other three groups and a battery of sensory and autonomic

testing revealed no real differences between the groups. Advanced EMG

studies also failed to show any significant abnormalities among the four

groups of servicemen.

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This study was funded by the UK Ministry of Defence, which had no input into

the design, conduct, analysis or reporting of the study.

The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 18,000

neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving

patient care through education and research.

For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit its

website at http://www.aan.com.