Highlights
- •Our case series of visual snow (VS) patients is similar to previous reports.
- •Tinnitus, migraine and tremor are associated non-visual features.
- •Tinted lenses in the yellow-blue colour spectrum, improves VS symptoms.
- •Visual snow may be a thalamocortical dysrhythmia of the visual pathway.
Abstract
In this paper we review the visual snow (VS) characteristics of a case cohort of 32
patients. History of symptoms and associated co-morbidities, ophthalmic examination,
previous investigations and the results of intuitive colourimetry were collected and
reviewed. VS symptoms follow a stereotypical description and are strongly associated
with palinopsia, migraine and tinnitus, but also tremor. The condition is a chronic
one and often results in misdiagnosis with psychiatric disorders or malingering. Colour
filters, particularly in the yellow-blue colour spectrum, subjectively reduced symptoms
of VS. There is neurobiological evidence for the syndrome of VS that links it with
other disorders of visual and sensory processing such as migraine and tinnitus. Colour
filters in the blue-yellow spectrum may alter the koniocellular pathway processing,
which has a regulatory effect on background electroencephalographic rhythms, and may
add weight to the hypothesis that VS is a thalamocortical dysrhythmia of the visual
pathway.
Graphical abstract
Graphical Abstract
Keywords
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: January 11, 2016
Accepted:
December 2,
2015
Received:
October 8,
2015
Identification
Copyright
© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
