(Portland, OR) -- For the first time, researchers in Oregon have identified a brain syndrome caused by fentanyl. A man in his 40s was hospitalized after snorting crushed fentanyl. There were no signs he had previously used opioids. An MRI showed inflammation in the white matter of his brain. It's happened in heroin patients, but this is the first time with fentanyl. Researchers say it can lead to permanent brain damage. The man was hospitalized for nearly a month before going to a nursing home for further rehabilitation. Researchers don't know how much fentanyl is needed to cause the syndrome.