Brain

Christina Applegate has a theory about why she was misdiagnosed with multiple sclerosis: She’s been poisoned.

The “Married With Children” and “Dead to Me” star has been inundated with well-intentioned suggestions following the revelation of her misdiagnosis, but one stood out, Applegate recounted on the Tuesday episode of her “Messy” podcast with co-host Jamie Lynn Sigler.

“I’ve been thinking this for years: breast implant poisoning,” she said. “I actually had my double mastectomy in 2008, and I am way overdue for having them replaced, and I swear over the last five years or whatever I thought, ‘What if it’s — seriously — what if they’re leaking and they’re poisoning me?”

Someone sent her a study about breast implant leakage and poisoning presenting as MS, Applegate said, recounting some of her symptoms.

For one, she said, “I sleep, Jamie. I can’t stop sleeping. I slept, I think, almost the entire day yesterday. I had like one thing that was important for me to do and then other than that, I’m like — I’m, like, asleep right now.”

Then there’s the pain.

“I don’t know what’s going on in my joints, but I can’t move my right shoulder, like, at all now. I can’t lift my arm. I’ve got all sorts of other things going on,” Applegate told “Sopranos” star Sigler, who has lived with MS for over a decade. “It takes me 10 minutes at least to even sit up and get out of my bed, because I just hurt all over. And I don’t know if I’m doing that to myself by sleeping too much.”

MS is a central nervous system (brain, spinal cord, optic nerves) disease that “disrupts the flow of information within the brain and between the brain and the rest of the body,” according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Symptoms may include fatigue, memory and mobility issues, mood swings, numbness, pain, tingling and vision impairment.

Applegate then regaled her co-host with a Halloween story that saw her miraculously fly down the stairs of her home without the assistance of her caregiver when she thought she heard her daughter Sadie, 15, screaming outside.

“You know that superhuman thing of being a mom, like the mama always lifts the car? I flew. I don’t know how I did that. I flew and was in the driver’s seat of the car before [my caregiver] could even get out of what she was doing. She was like, ‘How did you get here?’ And I’m like, ‘I don’t know, man.’”

When they drove toward the “blood-curdling screaming,” they discovered it was a fighting couple, who apparently didn’t need any assistance.

“My friend got out and said, ‘Hey, do you need help? … We can call the police.’ And this is what the girl said: She goes, “Get off my property, b—. I’ll f— kill you.” So, we were like, ‘Chick, ya on your own. So, hope it works out for ya. Hope those Bloody Marys treat you right in the morning, you drunk a—.’”

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has started research after the man died from animal illness – only detected for first time this summer

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has launched an investigation after the first-ever case of a brain disease was found in an EU country which is a favourite destination for UK tourists. Health officials in France raised the alarm following the first ever known case of Shamonda virus (SHAV) infection in a human.

The person concerned had not travelled outside the country in the preceding 12 months, the WHO said. WHO said: “The case was an immunocompromised older man from eastern France with no travel history during the preceding year. He developed severe neurological illness on 23 September 2026 and was diagnosed with severe encephalitis (brain inflammation). The patient died on 8 October 2026.”

It said there are ‘no previously documented human infections’ of the disease, which normally affects animals such as cattle, sheep, goats and horses. The WHO said: “As only one human case has been reported so far, information on the disease in humans remains limited. In this case, the patient was already seriously ill and experienced additional, brain-related symptoms that were considered to be linked to the Shamonda virus.”

Vector-borne transmission (via a bite from an infected midge) is thought to be the most likely source of infection. Officials are investigating the possibility of food-borne transmission, but said it’s unlikely.

WHO added: “As this is the first documented laboratory-confirmed human infection, WHO considers that the public health risk cannot yet be reliably assessed and recommends continued surveillance and investigation.”

The patient lived in rural eastern France, where animal SHAV transmission has been documented since July 2026, and had not travelled in the preceding year. The patient received multiple blood transfusions between February and October 2026 for his underlying illness.

SHAV was only found for the first time in Europe during the summer of 2026 with confirmed or suspected infections reported in cattle, horses and alpacas in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

As of October 21 2026, additional European countries and territories have reported SHAV detections in animals: Austria, Ireland, Jersey, Liechtenstein, Portugal, Slovenia and Spain.

It adds: “This first documented human infection with SHAV in 2026 demonstrates that human infection is possible. However, a single case is insufficient to assess the risk to the general population, including immunocompetent individuals, or to determine the frequency, clinical spectrum or severity of human infection. The route of infection and possible sources of exposure are unknown, though vector-borne transmission is a plausible hypothesis.”

Matt Damon revealed that his wife of more than 20 years, Luciana “Lucy” Barroso, suffered a brain aneurysm.

The revelation came during an interview with GQ, when “The Odyssey” star opened up about a time he felt a tinge of FOMO watching the Oscars from bed with his wife and then-newborn baby.

It was the 79th Academy Awards in 2007 and Martin Scorsese was nominated for best director for “The Departed,” which was also up for best picture. Damon portrays a corrupt police officer in the film.

“Lucy and I were laying in bed watching it and so nervous for Marty,” he told the magazine. “And then when he won, I was jumping up and down in the bedroom and I remember being really excited. And then the next category was best picture, and The Departed won. And I realized in that moment I hadn’t even considered that that could happen. And I turned to Lucy and I was like, ‘S—, we should be there!’ … I totally blew it.”

After the experience, Damon said his wife wouldn’t let him miss out again, even in the wake of serious medical trauma.

In 2024, “Oppenheimer” was up for best picture. In the movie, Damon plays Col. Leslie R. Groves, head of the Manhattan Project. The film won the award, and this time, Barroso had a surprise in store, an Oscar-worthy dress ready to go for the big night even though she’d just had surgery after suffering a brain aneurysm.

“She’s totally fine, thank God,” he said. “But [she] had this brain surgery the week before the Oscars. But it was the first night she felt good enough to get up and had her energy back. And she surprised me and got a dress and we went out to the after-party, because she remembered that the last time it happened, I didn’t do it. And she was like, ‘This time we’re going out.’ And it was pretty f— heroic of her to do that and really meaningful.”

The Argentine-born Barroso and Damon tied the knot back in 2005. They had met two years earlier, and during a 2011 appearance on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show,” Damon said that meeting his wife was a complete stroke of luck.

He was filming “Stuck on You” in 2002, with the Farrelly brothers at the helm. “We were supposed to shoot in Hawaii, and then the movie got moved to Miami . . . and I’d never really hung out in Miami,” he told DeGeneres, adding that in the middle of the shoot a couple of the guys from the crew invited him to grab a beer at a local watering hole. “They kind of dragged me along, and we ended up at a bar where my wife was the bartender, and I literally saw her across a crowded room, literally.

“And eight years and four kids later, that’s my life,” he joked. “I don’t know how else our paths would have crossed if that didn’t happen.”

British actor Patrick Stewart died Wednesday at 86. His spokesperson said Thursday that he died from Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.

The two conditions often occur together, said UCLA neurology professor Dr. Keith Vossel, and when that happens, the individual’s decline may be faster.

Lewy body dementia is the second-most-common form of degenerative dementia, behind Alzheimer’s disease, Vossel said. It occurs when a protein called alpha-synuclein aggregates in clumps inside the brain. The condition is under-recognized and under-diagnosed in part because its symptoms can overlap with those of Alzheimer’s.

Other celebrities who suffered from the condition include Robin Williams, who took his own life at 63, and Casey Kasem.

The condition is named after Friedrich H. Lewy, the neurologist who discovered the brain abnormalities in the early 1900s, according to the Alzheimer’s Assn. website.

“Essentially the only way to really diagnose these conditions together is after an autopsy and to see the hallmark features of the diseases under the microscope,” Vossel said.

Lewy body dementia symptoms tend to start with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder, such as screaming or kicking during sleep. A sufferer may have rigidity or tremors in one of their arms or legs. And they may experience slowness of movement.

A patient may be diagnosed with Lewy body dementia after also experiencing cognitive symptoms within one year of motor symptoms. Cognitive symptoms could include illusions or hallucinations — some patients report sensing a shadowy figure nearby — and difficulties with problem solving and navigation. The condition is also marked by dramatic fluctuations in alertness that occur within hours of the same day.

Another early feature of Lewy body dementia is anxiety, Vossel said.

By contrast, Alzheimer’s disease typically is associated with memory and language loss, and is more associated with apathy and depression than with anxiety. The course of Alzheimer’s disease is slightly slower than that of Lewy body dementia, according to Vossel.

Lewy body dementia is more common in men than in women. Anyone over the age of 60 is at higher risk of having a degenerative condition. Lewy body dementia is most common in people in their 70s to 80s, he said.

There is currently no cure for Lewy body dementia, which is terminal and progressive. After a diagnosis, people can typically expect to live six to eight years before they need 24-hour care, Vossel said.

But medication can help manage symptoms. Clinical studies have found that cardiovascular fitness can slow the rate of decline, Vossel said.

Those who suspect they have Lewy body dementia symptoms should contact a neurologist or a clinician trained in either geriatric medicine or geriatric psychiatry for an evaluation, Vossel said.

It is unclear when Billy Joel will perform again.

The 77-year-old singer has to take “a series of tests” before being able to tour again, he told the Hollywood Reporter in a health update following his 2025 brain disorder diagnosis.

“I’m not allowed to drive,” Joel said in the interview published Thursday. “And I can’t do performances because what the neurologist told me, every time you do a show, it’s like you’re getting a concussion.”

Joel canceled concerts in May 2025 after revealing two months before that he had a brain disorder known as normal pressure hydrocephalus, or NPH, which causes physical and mental issues.

“This condition has been exacerbated by recent concert performances, leading to problems with hearing, vision and balance,” Joel said in a statement on his Instagram in May 2025. “Under his doctor’s instructions, Billy is undergoing specific physical therapy and has been advised to refrain from performing during this recovery period.”

NPH is a brain disorder in which excess cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the brain’s ventricles, according to the Alzheimer’s Assn. It can cause cognitive issues, difficulty walking and the loss of bladder control. Those suffering with NPH often walk with a wide stance and their bodies bent forward as if they were trying to maintain balance on a boat — a feeling that Joel described while on Bill Maher’s podcast “Club Random” on July 21, 2025.

Other symptoms include mild dementia that involves short-term memory loss, a lack of interest in daily activities and difficulty completing routine tasks.

NPH is one of the few causes of dementia that can be controlled or reversed with surgical treatment, usually involving the placement of a shunt.

It is unclear whether Joel underwent the procedure, although the “Uptown Girl” singer initially postponed his concerts in March 2025 after undergoing unspecified surgery and physical therapy.

The surgery took place just weeks after the crooner lost his balance on Feb. 22, 2025, while performing “It’s Still Rock and Roll to Me” at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.; however, it is unclear if the tumble and subsequent surgery were at all related to the NPH diagnosis he revealed to the public that May.

For now, Joel reports that he is “OK” and the diagnosis is “not that serious,” per his THR interview. Neurologists have warned the singer, however, about the risks involved in performing, including that the lighting and sound can cause stress in the body.

“And [neurologists] said, ‘Well, you really shouldn’t be doing that right now.’ So they have to test me further to see if I can go back and do performing again, which I would like to be able to do,” he said.

Times staff writer Alexandra Del Rosario and former assistant editor Christie D’Zurilla contributed to this report.

Charity Brain Tumour Research said the disease was the cancer most likely to kill patients under 40 in the UK.

They said charities made up more than 75% of the total national investment in brain tumour research, with the government funding sitting at 25%.

Following the announcement, chief executive Dan Knowles thanked Goodburn for his “tireless efforts” in raising awareness of the disease.

He said: “We are optimistic that this renewed focus will help ensure discoveries in the laboratory actually make it to patients who so desperately need more options.”

The Rare Cancers Bill, led by Edinburgh South West MP Scott Arthur, became law earlier this year.

The legislation aims to incentivise research and investment into the treatment of rare types of cancer, defined as those affecting fewer than 1 in every 2,000 people.

But Goodburn previously said that did not go far enough and a dedicated brain cancer lead would allow for greater focus on specific research and trials.

Arthur said the act was “vital” to driving research needed into the condition, but Goodburn’s meeting with Burnham could lead to further work in the field.

“There is real opportunity in the sector to dismantle the barriers to research that charities, clinicians, and researchers have known about for decades,” he said before the meeting.

“Having met Archie a number of times I know he is a fantastic advocate for the brain tumour community.

“I hope his meeting with the prime minister is a moment for concrete progress to be made.”