Visual snow, as described in a paper published in Neurology (opens in a new window), “is a recently identified neurologic condition consisting of a constant positive visual disturbance described as uncountable tiny dots over the entire visual field.”
Patients describe it as like seeing a TV static image everywhere they look, and it can be highly disabling for those who have it as a chronic condition. It is distinct from migraine aura, but migraineurs can also suffer from visual snow(VS). The trouble is, sufferers often have perfectly normal eye tests, and can have a hard time persuading their doctors that this is not something they are making up.
Francesca Puledda, MD, of King’s College in London, England, and her colleagues conducted a web-based study to validate their criteria for visual snow syndrome (VSS). In the study, 1,174 people with self-reported symptoms responded, 70 of whom were identified as having hallucinogen-persisting perception disorder (HPPD).
To read more about this study and VSS:
MedPage Today (opens in a new window): “Visual Snow is Real”
The actual study in Neurology: “VSS: a clinical and phenotypical description of 1,100 cases (opens in a new window)”
An article on the subject on the National Organization for Rare Disorders site (opens in a new window): “VSS”
Monash University in Australia is also researching the syndrome: “Visual snow: Understanding the neurological condition (opens in a new window)”
The MedPage Today article quotes Dr. Puledda as saying,”It is our hope that these kinds of studies will aid the recognition of VS, and bring under the spotlight a disorder which is widely distributed around the world but for which treatment is still lacking.”
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