Research Spotlight: New Clues for Therapy

Insight #1: Diagnostic Criteria

VSS is defined by "dynamic, continuous tiny dots across the entire visual field, persisting for >3 months". It also requires at least two additional visual symptoms, such as "palinopsia," "enhanced entoptic phenomena," "photophobia," or "impaired night vision". These criteria are found in the appendix of the "International Classification of Headache Disorders, third edition (ICHD-3)" for research purposes.

Insight #2: Brain Dysfunction in VSS

VSS is more than just visual disturbances; it’s a “widespread brain network disorder”. It involves issues in your “visual association area”, which processes what you see, and also affects “attentional and salience networks” that manage focus. Essentially, different brain parts aren’t communicating as they should, leading to symptoms.

Insight #3: Current Treatment Approaches

Finding relief for VSS can be tough, as treatment is “not established”. 

• Medication: “Lamotrigine has reported to be effective in approximately 20% of cases”. However, no drug is yet proven more effective than a placebo.

• Therapies: Approaches like “cognitive behavioural therapy”, “transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)”, and “chromatic tint[ed] glasses” (which subjectively reduce VS for 80%) are explored. More controlled trials are needed. 

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