Charles Bonnet Syndrome

If you or someone you know has been diagnosed with macular degeneration you will want to know about this often unknown and undiagnosed syndrome. It occurs in people who lack visual stimulation and have experienced loss of vision for several years.

Charles Bonnet Syndrome is the name of a condition that results in people seeing things that they know really are not there. A person may "see" people, objects, or animals. Or they may see patterns of things. It is most commonly experienced by older people who have had severe loss of vision, including those with macular degeneration.

This condition was identified by a Swiss philosopher named Charles Bonnet in 1760. His grandfather was almost blind, yet would state that he saw people, figures, buildings and birds which he knew did not exist.

Symptoms

√ be colored or black and white

√ be images of people, animals, buildings, plants or trees

√ be pattterns such as mosaics or lines

√ occur suddenly

√ last a few seconds, a few minutes or a couple of hours

√ vary greatly with each individual lasting a couple of weeks or a couple of years

√ go into remission spontaneously

√ can be misdiagnosed as early dementia or psychosis

If you'd like to find out more about this syndrome and how it is treated click here:

Charles Bonnet Syndrome

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Leslie Degner, RN, BSN

Better Health for Better Vision