Purpose Of Review: Visual snow (VS) involves visualization of innumerable dots throughout the visual field, sometimes resembling "TV static." Patients who experience this symptom may also have additional visual symptoms (e.g., photophobia, palinopsia, floaters, and nyctalopia) with a pattern now defined as visual snow syndrome (VSS). This manuscript describes both VS and VSS in detail and provides an updated review on the clinical features, pathophysiology, and optimal management strategies for these symptoms.
Recent Findings: VS/VSS may be primary or secondary to a variety of etiologies, including ophthalmologic or brain disorders, systemic disease, and medication/hallucinogen exposure. Evaluation involves ruling out secondary causes and mimics of VS. Increasing evidence suggests that VSS is a widespread process extending beyond the visual system. Pathophysiology may involve cortical hyperexcitability or dysfunctional connectivity of thalamocortical or attention/salience networks. VSS is typically a benign, non-progressive syndrome and can be managed with non-medicine strategies. Though no medication provides complete relief, some may provide partial improvement in severity of VS.
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Multicenter Validation of the Ocular Myasthenia Gravis Rating Scale Questionnaire.
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From the Department of Neuro-Ophthalmology (S.H.W.), Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Departments of Ophthalmology and Neurology (S.H.W.), Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust; Department of Ophthalmology (S.H.W.), Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine, King's College London; Department of Clinical and Movement Neuroscience (S.H.W.), UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, University College London, United Kingdom; Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (R.A., W.T.C., T.D., J.R.E., C.A.A., L.B.D.L.), Kellogg Eye Center, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; Departments of Ophthalmology, Neurology, and Neurosurgery (E.R.E., S.K.), Mayo Clinic, FL; Survey Research Center (J.R.E.), Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor; and Division of Neurology (C.B.-T.), Department of Medicine, University Health Network and University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
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Klinik für Neurologie, Oberbayerisches Kopfschmerzzentrum, Klinikum Großhadern, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, München, Deutschland.
Article Synopsis
- Visual snow is a visual perception disorder characterized by constant flickering or "TV-like" noise in the visual field and is often accompanied by symptoms like light sensitivity and afterimages, making diagnosis challenging due to misconceptions with migraine aura.* -
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- The findings suggest that the characteristics of this German cohort align with international cases, highlighting the need for awareness to reduce the risk of psychosomatic stigma linked to the psychological aspects of the disorder.*
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Melbourne School of Psychological Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
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Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci
October 2024
Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Australia.
Purpose: Palinopsia (persistent afterimages and/or trailing) is a common but poorly understood symptom of the neurological condition visual snow syndrome. This study aimed to collect a phenotypical description of palinopsia in visual snow syndrome and probe for abnormalities in temporal visual processing, hypothesizing that palinopsia could arise from increased visibility of normal afterimage signals or prolonged visible persistence.
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Laboratory of Psychophysics, Brain Mind Institute, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), 1015 Lausanne, Switzerland.
Patients with visual snow syndrome (VSS) experience uncountable flickering tiny dots in the entire visual field. Symptoms often persist over the years. Very little is known about altered perception in VSS.
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