Capitol physician says "no evidence" McConnell has seizure disorder, stroke, Parkinson's
Washington — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell shows "no evidence" that he suffered a seizure disorder, stroke or Parkinson's disease during his two freezing episodes, the attending physician of Congress said Tuesday.
"There is no evidence that you have a seizure disorder or that you experienced a stroke, TIA or movement disorder such as Parkinson's disease," Dr. Brian Monahan wrote in a letter to McConnell that was released publicly, using the abbreviation for transient ischemic attack, or a mini stroke.
Monahan also said McConnell had a brain MRI, an EEG study — which detects abnormalities the electrical activity of the brain — and consultations with several neurologists.
McConnell experienced a second freezing episode in public last week while answering questions from reporters in Kentucky. The latest episode came about a month after McConnell stopped talking mid-sentence during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol.
The episodes have brought growing scrutiny about the 81-year-old's health. McConnell suffered a concussion in March after tripping at a Washington hotel and was hospitalized for several days. He then continued treatment at an inpatient rehabilitation facility before returning to the Senate.
After last week's incident, a spokesperson for McConnell said he felt "momentarily lightheaded and paused" during the news conference. A similar explanation was given after the first incident.
Monahan said last week that McConnell was "medically clear to continue with his schedule as planned" after consulting with the Republican leader and his neurological team.
"Occasional lightheadedness is not uncommon in concussion recovery and can also be expected as a result of dehydration," he said last week.
And he told McConnell in this week's letter, "There are no changes recommended in treatment protocols as you continue recovery from your March 2023."
McConnell briefly mentioned the recent episode in remarks on the Senate floor on Tuesday afternoon as the upper chamber returned from August recess.
"One particular moment of my time back home has received its fair share of attention in the press over the past week," he said. "But I assure you, August was a busy and productive month for me and my staff back in the commonwealth."
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Caitlin Yilek is a politics reporter for CBS News Digital. Reach her at caitlin.yilek@cbsinteractive.com. Follow her on Twitter: https://twitter.com/hausofcait
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