London, November 1 (RHC)—The mysterious condition ‘Havana Syndrome’ in which dozens of US and Canadian diplomats experienced strange symptoms which doctors suspected were caused by a sonic weapon, continues prompting scientists to unveil its causes.

Findings of a new study by the University of California (UCLA) published by the Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine on Thursday states that the diplomat’s condition was probably a result of  a psychological phenomenon.

The study concludes that ‘Havana Syndrome’ was actually an epidemic of psychological illness, brought about by the fear of working in a hostile ‘cauldron of stress’ in Cuba and China.

Dr Robert Bartholomew, said the phenomenon is more akin to shell shock, with the symptoms paralleling those associated with war trauma.

“A characteristic feature of combat syndromes over the past century is the appearance of an array of neurological complaints from an overstimulated nervous system that are commonly misdiagnosed as concussions and brain damage,” he said.

The authors claim the diplomats were still living in a Cold War environment.

“What is the more likely, that the diplomats were the target of a mysterious new weapon for which there is no concrete evidence, or they were suffering from psychogenic symptoms generated by stress?” added Dr Bartholomew

“The evidence overwhelmingly points to the latter.“

Several studies have found that the diplomats had suffered brain damage from an unknown sources, and a Canadian investigation concluded that they may have inhaled chemicals from fumigation of the embassies.

However, the UCLA team said all the studies were flawed and lacked evidence for exposure to a toxin or weapon.  “There is no need to resort to exotic explanations,” the team concludes in journal Royal Society of Medicine.

“Claims that the patients were suffering from brain and auditory damage are not borne out by the data.“