Tuvin's Syndrome

A chronic disease typically marked by degeneration of the peripheral nervous system; nicknamed, the Espers Revenge. Named for Mark Tuvin, the Imperial Army doctor who first diagnosed it. The disease is caused by the crystalization of magicite in the brain of people who have undergone a magic-enabling infusion of an Esper's essence. In the most common form of Tuvin's Syndrome, the magicite deposits are centered around the neuromotor and sensory pathways, causing the body to lose feeling and control, typically first at the extremities. In the early stages, Tuvin's Syndrome commonly causes numbness; in more advanced stages, sufferers may lose control of limbs. They may also lose control of certain facial muscles. Tuvin's Syndrome is a slow working disease but ultimately fatal as the deposits spread to the autonomic nervous system, leading to heart and lungs failure. This can take many decades; Tuvin's Syndrome inflicts many years of paralysis before death. Dementia, memory loss, and behavior abnormalities have been recorded in a small percentage of cases, usually in the advanced stage of the disease, but in rare cases Tuvin's syndrome may affect memory and cognitive functions years before there is any noticeable effect on sensation and motor control.

Onset is usually about a decade or two after primary exposure, but may strike sooner or later in some cases. There is no known cure and no particularly effective treatment. Although work in the 30s with electroshock therapy and in the 40s with telepathic surgery were initially promising, neither proved able to arrest deterioration for more than a year or so. Surgery and cybernetic replacements have been considered but are ultimately too destructive and invasive.

While the disease primarly affects recipients of Esper infusions, in rare cases it may affect users of magicite or cybernetic magictech. Those exposed to Ultima fallout are also at increased risk, as well as users of X-Zone and Reverse X-Zone technology.

This ailment renders Torstensson Lenart unable to walk and confined to a wheelchair. Celes Cole also suffers from this illness, although her variant causes memory loss rather than loss of motor functions. It is also believed that Kefka Palazzo may have suffered from this disease, but there are no medical records to verify this.