Talking about this sickness in -- -- new York and joining us right now is the physician the neurologist who's examined a number. Of individuals involved in this and number of people experiencing these symptoms. And heave from. Beat dent institute is doctor lot of slow -- doctor thanks a lot for joining us really appreciated. Good morning. Sure alone in. Is there any evidence that this illness is anything but. Conversion disorder or let's be frank what we used to call. -- republic used to call mass hysteria. Comma and I appreciate you brings his subject I think you're doing a great job because of a lot of media hype and some. Unfortunately misinformation going out there. You know that these young ladies. Including one young man. -- have been seen by a multitude of positions. Doctor make big myself the are these positions you have seen most of the patients. In fact I can tell you the number is actually increased eighteen and reaching fourteen that. And having said that in our mind. Scientifically. And medically speaking we have no question about the diagnosis. Unfortunately as you know and you've been talking about this in the immediate cause of the mystery illness. I'm not sure why they're calling it a mystery illness because not only -- and not only is -- -- -- myself. Completely comfortable diagnosis as most of the patients are and their families. Sort national experts. Extending from Harvard. To Columbia to -- and I age to even Strong Memorial Hospital who had moved we had maximum out of input from -- -- -- diagnosis straightforward. And again I think it's it's these. Kids are being exploited. Well I I heard somewhere and maybe you can verify this that. These students who have stopped making media appearances have taken a turn for the better. That and that's completely correct. We've been asked that question there's about half the kids do not wanna be on TV. Do not want to have any form of media coverage. Those that kids are going back to schools doing much better. What's interesting to kids that you see on TV. The kids that look very ill of the exact kids who have not come to the -- -- So what's interesting is. It's difficult to big for me to explain that is that we would love to see all the patience but. Interest and in the patients. Who are very affected by this disorder. Are the same children that are not being seen. In a and academic professional fashion they have not seen doctor -- or myself. Doctor wrestler I know that often the practices of neurology and psychiatry. Can intertwine and overlap. What is it about people that one would thing. They would be relieved. That. There isn't a tumor or there isn't some kind of a lesion but that it is eight it is a mental process that isn't going right. Why wouldn't that relieved most people. You would think so it is somewhat of a paradox. When you sit down and and help. A patient and band and their parents. That your daughter is going to be fine give it time this is the diagnosis. And the comeback is. You got to find some nerve toxin and some brain cancer or something affecting -- child it really doesn't make sense. I would have to say that that's human nature in many ways. Two I think it's in some ways. The distrust. And that individuals have. Toward the medical field. And it out and the fact that on the Internet. And that and people equate Internet we facts and as you know and as per the most dangerous thing and I have to tell you. Positions. Such as myself we. Do not we are not comfortable talking about this type of issues to the audiences in the media because we have. A patient physician relationship that that's quite sacred. This to the different issues this is because there's been so call epidemic. As so that's -- state Health Department. Has been granted -- permission to talk about this to bring some sanity. To this insanity. And and it's interesting how. Facts are presented but they're not facts misinformation. Is presented as true information. But it's distorting what's going on and what upsets me as that position. Is that I understand it's a journalist. Becomes simply don't know. So so but I can't expect can accept a position in the media. Doing the things that may be happening by sensationalizing. The this topic. Bringing up diagnoses. That have no foundation. And if that was my daughter who's seen the TV programs you can imagine how upset that it will be. So well so. I'm really concerned about the integrity of the media especially when it comes to positions representing the medical. Oh well I try to go beyond sensational. I'd like to think that -- divinely fabulous but that's just another point altogether. In terms of the sickness I was just saying to somebody the other day. How long before more -- adults in LeRoy come forward to say that. -- -- Have these text mate who have these symptoms and sure enough. A Thirtysomething woman has come forward to say she had to quit her job because of these X and their vocal. Outbursts. That does not surprise me in the least I would expect leader to be more. That's happening gonna last 48 hours for soft porn new patients. And and it's it's the media is gonna hype it up there will be more patients coming out of the woodwork I promise you that. I tell -- that interest -- -- one patient came to me. I without naming names. Basically the mother brother and daughter say that my daughter has a conversion disorder. Source all the patients -- two days ago for the possibility of a conversion disorder because they live just outside of LeRoy. And -- told the patient actually had a tic disorder. So the pendulum has swung to the point where everybody thinks is now conversion disorder in fact some patients do have six do have tourette's. And those individuals need to be separate from this group. -- all young ladies and one boy. Because -- a whole different scenario at let me just throw some turns out the mass hysteria. It's really a Freudian term. But it's it's that served that we don't like to use it and I don't like to use this hysteria could know that they got it means something negative. We call this a conversion disorder an individual basis as somebody comes your office has symptoms that have no organic background that's got a conversion disorder. -- occurred in a cohesive small group. Like this LeRoy school that's called -- -- genetic illness or MPI. So it's it's really semantic it's just that her words were using but that's how we didn't describing this to our patients. I was talking to a senior citizen relative of mine the other night and day she said it's mass hysteria -- all these idiots get that it's mass hysteria but morality or I was on my mom and that's it. As you said that we used to have that it was mass hysteria these people need to get a life. And that's my area that's my mom. -- let me just emphasize Tom that these young ladies these patients of -- have real symptoms are truly affected. We just don't think there's an organic basis to it. And and then immediately say that what this diagnosis has to be done by exclusion you hear that every you have to expose everything else in the world. Before you could diagnosis and let me tell you right now that's just not true. A good neurologist. -- you know many of them can't evaluate a patient. And by observation and by neurological examination and tell you upfront that this is conversion disorder -- -- do any tests. So that does the the premise that you need to rule out. Organic is these guys do a million dollar work -- you need a blood work toxins and somewhat it's just not true. And that's the point I think the media is missing. It's good neurologists a competent neurologist compliant but conversion disorder and one other thing we -- conversion disorder on a daily basis. And you and I go back many years in Western European I've been practicing for over 27 years and so how -- -- disorders have -- seen in our practice. The huge amount that this is not rocket science what than usual is that there's so many of them in a small group that's looking usual. We're talking with a neurologist doctor -- slow mettler of the debts and our phone number is 8030930. Start 93180616. WB. Those patients and I'm sure you and every physician listening has had experiences with this. People will read about some. True mystery illness and suddenly they will believe they've developed the symptoms and you'll get calls the next Monday morning about. Doctor I think I've got the a -- How how common is that that it's almost like -- can drive a cool thing. -- yes it's it's human nature many ways imagine. This in the good exit I think a pretty good example. That you you live and dormitory at some becomes and it says -- is bad box I got bed bugs. Next you know I promised that. Most of the people in that dormitory will be itching scratching answer -- during out their bed. That that happens quite often so there is this. Sensation at this feeling that in in this small group of people that. If you're -- -- -- -- older at a let me tell you historically this has happen by the way. And PI a -- genetic illness as you -- using the term mass hysteria has occurred. Throughout the centuries. In the last thirty years 16%. Of -- these M mass hysteria have occurred. In rural schools. Wouldn't young at a adolescent women and 60%. In the last thirty years about thirty cases that we know up. So am -- weird diagnosing something unusual yes it has it been. Well described in the literature. A hundred years ago he's sticker in factories were women were in close knit groups. In about 200 years ago didn't honorees. So we know we have to 300 years of history. A similar -- terms. On that -- wide spectrum such as nausea vomiting loss of consciousness seizure activity. Paralysis. That -- a long list of symptoms but the basic principle is a small cohesive group usually young women. And and and and they do get better with time. And that's the good news and that's to take a message from today these kids -- get better and the only thing they need this time and space. How do you as a physician and the schools how do you help to limit the number of people developing these symptoms and bring this quote on quote epidemic to a conclusion. Well exactly what I'm doing right now and -- and one that only reason I'm talking to use. A I'd known you priest when he some years and two I think. This is bringing sanity is in form information. Information from credible positions. And and you know it's important to get the information out there. To -- and there's two sides of the story here just sensationalism the exportation. Of this this subject. And then the positions involved he said that's come down step back now the problem is that what's changed I think is the -- Is that Internet media. These this is being now overwhelmingly. Forced upon us by the Internet. By FaceBook. By a Smartphones. And and texting. This is what's going on -- -- and this is reinforcing the problem and we haven't seen more patience is not just the media. Is this Internet and an associate technology that's changed. And now. You know would -- these families. Who feel that there is some disease. We need to reassure them. But unfortunate what they're doing by going to the media sitting down in their living room having the children paraded in front of them. It's just worsening the symptoms and that's the that's like two emphasize that. Look if you don't trust stuck to magnetics in my opinion you have every right to do so but let me give you a name. Either and I age. Or at strong memorial at Columbia who make EB US second third -- four opinion and then go in that direction don't put an Internet. And don't go to the media and then exploit that whole situation because it makes your children and worse. One quick question which hopefully will cover two areas that have come up repeatedly. It's the HPV vaccine. It's candidates. -- comment. Because because this is a so called epidemic. I do have the right to see some. Specific. Information that normally it would not. The the eighteen only to receive the vaccination. The board did not get the vaccination could support does not have a cervix. So so so that that that. Is just blatantly wrong I mean that's impossible that's number one. The -- was an interesting possibility but was ruled out because only wanted to patient had a streptococcus infection beforehand. And but we have to be open minded so I did contact the person. Who actually. Describe the disease in 1998 at the and I age. And I missed practice -- ago. And she wrote the first publication on hand -- so we've been in communication. And she unequivocally. Unequivocally agrees. With our diagnosis. So we have the definitive person who actually describe pandas initially. Stating that this is not pandas. And that her opinion is to monitor out so this just some information out there but. I it in but everything you know in everyone's mind has to be ruled out but we. Field that we ruled out every disease but having said that. When they bring up the toxicology. Now racking with the with these natural gas and now that the previous song was the train. Derailment. And PC. They gained by it let me emphasize when a patient walks into your office and you evaluate and examine the patient and it's a conversion disorder. I don't care where it they lived next to love canal or they live in Amherst. Really doesn't matter because it's conversion disorder so so that PCE. Is niece who will be looked into for an environmental reasons. But that's not affected our patience. Doctor a lot of slow match whereas whereas an -- what we're gonna do I'm going to do the break I should have done at 1015. In the next half hours we get -- and phone calls first up let's go to Matt in tunnel Wanda line two on WB EM -- around with the -- -- MD. When I'm very nice priest who hung around with a girl -- Stoddard. In key thrown myself after I was done playing around with her daughter and myself. Nobody made a big deal about it and it went away within a month which discusses the conversion disorder. Yes because stuttering is not. Contagious disorder it was most likely as a young child. Conversion disorder either because your relationship that you had with mr. but. I'm happy to see that you're not stuttering now but it probably is a form of conversion disorder. And and obviously you've come out of -- so you've been fortunate. But I would say that's true. Let me talk to jail in buffalo -- that doctor -- match where from the -- -- -- -- on WB Ian. I'm quite an adapter. I completely but. A -- expert at it I'll eat or. They're out at and back to. Out ending up my question is I'm. And it and I agree with the diagnosis however I had. -- -- no wonder it's neat that they expect that cell phone you could add something to do. It's interesting as you know excesses cellphone use has been describing multiple neurological disorders. I they. I work out of Roswell park. I've been asked that question so many times. Cellphones and brain -- let me just state that there's no association. Of cellphones with neurological disorders such as brain tumors. And to our knowledge tic disorders or two arrests. So I think the fact that we know more about -- disease it seems like we hear about this more and we are seeing more patients because. An individual's religious more knowledgeable of the disorders so I don't think of frequencies and increasingly this cellphone use so I would have to say that. That. You should not be -- using a cellphone except if you drive. Doctor to separate the -- situation in Lee -- from other situations. Do we have an above normal rate in this area of auto immune diseases because I just can't tell you number of people I've met. With lupus work and masks were some of these other real serious situations. Well we know in Western New York we have won the highest incidence of multiple sclerosis in the world. That's been a known fact which -- in my years there were -- doctor Jacobs. His residence. He was it pioneer. In the valuation multiple sclerosis so that's a -- that's a different neurological disorders. The that we know that a high incidence of cancers around the Great Lakes part of the diet. Part of it we don't know. Does not that I higher incidence of brain tumors have looked into that. In regard to ought to -- disorders. I think. The diagnosis autoimmune disorders is is improving. As as our technology our science of medicine is improving we are seeing diseases more often. I think that's what we see with autoimmune disease that technology is so much better with the lab tests. And the knowledge of these autoimmune disorders. But is this is that a reason to leave Western Europe because. If you go down south that incidence of melanoma. And -- skin cancer is a far higher so. In every error area of the country you have different diseases that may be clustered. But nothing in Western Europe that be overly overly concerned about. Even multiple sclerosis is still very uncommon disease we just see a lot of it. One more question I have and that is this you mentioned the fact that there are precedents for these masks like code Janet illnesses. How long what is their lifespan generally before the symptoms and the the illnesses died down. Well. And when treated and diagnosed appropriately. Is usually lasts only a few weeks. But. We've reinforcement. There was a episode in Singapore. In a factory where hundreds of women came down with these type the symptoms. And they made mistake Paper actually brought so called. Medicine doctor is more like a witch doctor. We did all of these who do expelled them and they got worse and it lasted much longer. So when you step back from these individuals and and in. All -- sit down with the have a good report. A physician patient relationship and talked -- to look you got real symptoms they're gonna get better there's no neurological cost per say. They will get better they will an adventure they do. But we're in a different situation today we've got reinforcement. By Internet reinforcement by media. And unfortunately there were the journalistic responsibility. Tends to be not focused in on the patient but the story and the stories making things worse. Documents were always a pleasure I guess I won't I guess I want to be looking for voodoo dolls to be part of the treatment regiment at the -- Yeah. Right doctor wrestler talk to you soon doctor Laszlo bachelor with the debt neurological institute on WBE.
