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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR |
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| Year : 2021 | Volume
: 24
| Issue : 4 | Page : 596-597 |
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Vivid visual hallucinations in the visually impaired: Charles bonnet syndrome—An analog to the “Phantom-Limb Phenomenon”
Scot Muirden
Director, Charles Bonnet Syndrome Foundation, Australia
| Date of Submission | 14-Aug-2020 |
| Date of Acceptance | 06-Mar-2021 |
| Date of Web Publication | 15-Apr-2021 |
Correspondence Address:
Dr. Scot Muirden
Director, Charles Bonnet Syndrome Foundation
Australia
 Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None  | Check |
DOI: 10.4103/aian.AIAN_878_20
How to cite this article:
Muirden S. Vivid visual hallucinations in the visually impaired: Charles bonnet syndrome—An analog to the “Phantom-Limb Phenomenon”. Ann Indian Acad Neurol 2021;24:596-7 |
How to cite this URL:
Muirden S. Vivid visual hallucinations in the visually impaired: Charles bonnet syndrome—An analog to the “Phantom-Limb Phenomenon”. Ann Indian Acad Neurol [serial online] 2021 [cited 2023 Feb 8];24:596-7. Available from: https://www.annalsofian.org/text.asp?2021/24/4/596/313741 |
I read with interest the case report by Das et al.[1] of a male patient with long-standing glaucoma who begins experiencing striking phantom percepts.
The piece highlights the pronounced trepidation that many vision-impaired people encounter when unusual visual phenomena spontaneously appear. Furthermore, because the affected individual often fears the worst case scenario, namely psychiatric disturbance or neurodegenerative decline, it becomes incumbent upon clinicians to be cognizant of, and sensitive to, these factors. Routine screening for, and forewarning of, Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) amongst sight-impaired patients can potentially circumvent needless and protracted anxiety.
In the discussion section, the authors state:
“CBS has also been reported among patients with congenital blindness.”
An article by Mewasingh et al.[2] is drawn upon as support for this statement. However, in actuality, none of the children in this particular paper were born blind but rather acquired sudden—and often very significant—vision loss in their early years of life.
Our foundation is not aware of any case report demonstrating that CBS has occurred in instances of congenital blindness. In fact, to the contrary, it is widely held that CBS does not occur when a person is born blind.[3],[4],[5],[6],[7] Prior visual experience appears to be a necessary precondition for CBS.
Financial support and sponsorship
Nil.
Conflicts of interest
There are no conflicts of interest.
 References | |  |
| 1. | Das A, Babu GN, Gupta A, Kanaujia V, Paliwal, VK. Vivid visual hallucinations in visually impaired: Charles bonnet syndrome–An analog to “phantom-limb phenomenon”. Ann Indian Acad Neurol 2020;23:734-5.  [Full text] |
| 2. | Mewasingh LD, Kornreich C, Christiaens F, Christophe C, Dan B. Pediatric phantom vision (Charles Bonnet) syndrome. Pediatr Neurol 2002;26:143-5. |
| 3. | Menon GJ. Complex visual hallucinations in the visually impaired: A structured history-taking approach. Arch Ophthalmol 2005;123:349-55. |
| 4. | Ormond AW. Visual hallucinations in sane people. Br Med J 1925;2:376-9. |
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| 6. | Royal College of General Practitioners (UK). Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) –Visual Hallucinations associated with poor vision. RCGP.org.uk [Internet]. London: Royal College of General Practitioners. [updated 2015 February; cited 2021 March 4]. Available from: https://www.rcgp.org.uk/eyehealth. |
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