Visual Snow Syndrome causes becoming clearer

The grainy visual disturbance typical of Visual Snow Syndrome
compared with normal visual perception.

by Anne Crawford

A little over three years ago, Monash University Department of Neuroscience researchers Associate Professor Joanne Fielding and Professor Owen White were given A$140,000 to fund research into a neurological condition that was at the time little known and under-researched.

People with Visual Snow Syndrome see the world through a constant overlay of flickering dots passing over their entire field of vision. This persists whether their eyes are open or closed. The incurable condition is not due to eye problems – it’s caused by an unknown brain malfunction.

Visual Snow Syndrome research challenges: Rare Disease Day feature

L-R: A/Prof Jo Fielding says of Visual Snow that "it is very difficult,
if not impossible to diagnose"; and patient advocate Patricia says VSS
is "quite challenging". See video (1:57 mins)

Part of our special series for Rare Disease Day featuring patient advocates and CCS researchers 

The Department of Neuroscience’s Associate Professor Joanne Fielding is involved in research on Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS), a neurological condition primarily affecting the processing of sensory information. Even though it is thought to affect up to 2% of people, it is not widely recognised or diagnosed correctly by the medical community.