Combined Neurological Syndrome in Electrohypersensitivity and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity: A Clinical Study of 2018 Cases

Abstract

From a cohort of 2018 evaluable consecutive cases issued from the European Clinical Trial Database, we describe the complete clinical symptomatic presentation of electrohypersensitivity (EHS) and multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) and their association in the framework of a unique, sensitivity-related environmental neurologic syndrome. Eligibility criteria are those of the Atlanta consensus meeting for MCS, and those of WHO for EHS. There were 1428 EHS, 85 MCS and 505 EHS/MCS evaluable cases, so EHS was associated with MCS in 25%. Women appeared to be much more susceptible to EHS and/or to MCS than men, with no statistical significance between the EHS and MCS groups (p = 0.07), but the combined group revealed a more significant female sex ratio of 80.4% (p < 0.0001). All symptoms except emotional behavior were significantly more frequent in EHS patients than in healthy controls (p < 0.0001). We found no pathognomonic symptoms to establish the diagnosis of both disorders or to distinguish EHS from MCS. The three groups of patients were found to share identical symptoms, while several symptoms were found to be more significantly frequent in EHS/MCS than in EHS (p < 0.0001). From these data, we suggest that EHS and MCS are new brain disorders, generated via a common etiopathogenic mechanism.