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SYMPTOMS | PATHOMECHANISMS | HISTORY

Symptoms

Transitory aura symptoms

Persistent aura symptoms

Internet survey

German version

Def. pers. aura

Worsening factor...

Improving factor...

VS and spiritual...

Persistent aura and spirituality

VS and arts

Case vignettes

FAQs

Psychological experience

Author: Klaus Podoll, Markus Dahlem, Sofia Greene	21. February 2007
Edited by: Klaus Podoll, Markus Dahlem, Sofia Greene

Family history of migraine

Information on family history of migraines was available in 54 or 90,0 % of the 60 subjects (#1, #14, #20, #23, #42, #45, #73, #75, #85, #86, #104, #120, #138, #141, #142, #145, #147, #152, #153, #156, #157, #159, #162, #167, #168, #169, #171, #172, #175, #179, #180, #185, #273, #189, #200, #217, #228, #230, #233, #234, #235, #240, #254, #257, #258, #264, #265, #276, #277, #283, #284, #296, #300, #301) with a diagnosis of definite persistent aura without infarction.

Of these 54, 37 (68,5 %) had a positive family history for migraine with one or more of the following first-degree relatives being affected: mother (subjects #14, #45, #85, #104, #142, #152, #167, #168, #175, #180, #185, #189, #217, #233, #235, #254, #301), father (subjects #1, #20, #23, #141, #162, #230, #240, #273), children (#147), mother & sibling(s) (subjects #42, #75, #234), father & sibling(s) (subjects #145, #156), mother & sibling(s) & child(ren) (subject #120), mother & father (subjects #159, #258), mother & father & sibling(s) (subjects #73, #172), mother & father & child(ren) (subject #86).

One subject (#172) had a positive family history for familial hemiplegic migraine.

These family history data are one of the strongest arguments for the migrainous nature of the persisting perception disorder encountered in the 60 subjects of the given sample of respondents to Sofia Greene's internet survey.

Family history of migraine in 60 subjects with definite persistent aura without infarction
Family members affected by migraines	Number of subjects
no information available	6
	(subjects #8, #30, #52, #80, #136, #182)
information available	54
	(subjects #1, #14, #20, #23, #42, #45, #73, #75, #85, #86, #104, #120, #138, #141, #142, #145, #147, #152, #153, #156, #157, #159, #162, #167, #168, #169, #171, #172, #175, #179, #180, #185, #189, #200, #217, #228, #230, #233, #234, #235, #240, #254, #257, #258, #264, #265, #273, #276, #277, #283, #284, #296, #300, #301)
no family history	17
	(subjects #138, #153, #157, #169 [but second degree relatives positive], #171 [but second degree relative positive], #179, #200 [but second degree relative positive], #228, #257, #264 [but several second degree relatives positive], #265, #276 [but second degree relative positive], #277 [but two second degree relatives positive], #283, #284, #296, #300)
mother	17
	(subjects #14, #45, #85, #104, #142, #152, #167, #168, #175, #180, #185, #189, #217, #233, #235, #254, #301)
father	8
	(subjects #1, #20, #23, #141, #162, #230, #240, #273)
sibling(s)	0
child(ren)	1
	(subject #147)
mother & sibling(s)	3
	(subjects #42, #75, #234)
mother & child(ren)	0
mother & sibling(s) & child(ren)	1
	(subject #120)
father & sibling(s)	2
	(subjects #145, #156)
father & childre(n)	0
father & sibling(s) & child(ren)	0
siblings & child(ren)	0
mother & father	2
	(subjects #159, #258)
mother & father & & sibling(s)	2
	(subjects #73, #172)
mother & father & child(ren)	1
	(subject #86)
mother & father & sibling(s) & child(ren)	0

Considering only the 54 subjects with available information on the family history of migraine, the frequency of emotional or physical stress preceding the onset of at least one episode of persistent aura was 35,1 % (13/37) for subjects with positive family history for migraine and 47,1 % (8/17) – 1,3 fold as frequent - for subjects with negative family history of migraine (χ2 = 0,70, df =1, n.s.).

Family history of migraine and presence of psychological or physical stress preceding the onset of at least one episode of persistent aura in 54 subjects with definite persistent aura without infarction and available information on family history of migraine
	Stress preceding the onset of persistent aura	No stress preceding the onset of persistent aura
Positive family history for migraine	13	24	37
No positive family history for migraine	8	9	17
	21	33	54

Environment and genetics

"I am no professional here, but wouldn't vs maybe be kind of like how we end up with migraines. I.e.: You can be hit by some triggers that you know you have and never have a migraine but, if you are hit by several triggers at one time then, you have a migraine attack... Bare with my laymen's terms. My thoughts are that it isn't weakness but, the right combination of 'triggers'???"

(metherell [subject #222], Ezboard forum Visual snow or static – Discussion – i need help – weakness?, November 13, 2006)

"Perhaps, but I do believe there is a strong genetic component to developing VS... There are also people with terrible migraines who get terrible headaches, vomit, and have hour long auras in there vision every month or so, but who don't end up with permanent symptoms (vs). Certainly, this person with terrible normal migraines has had lots of 'triggers'. Nope, God decreed for us to have vs because it is in our genetics. I think for me, in my last life, I must have lived in the middle ages and went around gouging people's eyes out who didn't pay their taxes to the King. So this now is my punishment.... Who knows....."

(starrant [subject #138], Ezboard forum Visual snow or static – Discussion – i need help – weakness?, November 14, 2006)

"Irregardless of what causes visual snow and other permanent visual symptoms, we are a very small group. Afterall, most people can take LSD and be fine after their trip. Only a small proportion of people end up with HPPD from LSD. Similarily, most people who do get migraine auras do not end up with visual snow... See, I think the root, root cause of our symptoms is a rare genetic susceptibility in the form of somehow 'weaker visual cortex neurons' (the receptors are prone to alteration???). Maybe 0.1 % of the population has these genetically weaker neurons. Now migraine aura effects up to 5 % of the population. If you overlap 5 % and 0.1 %, you end up with not too many people who have permanent visual snow. It is a similar fashion with HPPD, keeping in mind that not everyone does LSD. Some people can party every weekend like it's Woodstock, not have a care in the world, and get no HPPD, because they have 'normal and strong' visual cortex neurons that can take the punishment of an acid trip. Other people can have migraine auras several times a month that result in blinding flashes of light for an hour straight, followed by severe vomiting, paralysis in their body, etc. and guess what? No persistent aura without infarction because of their normal neurons that can 'take the punishment'. I think it is only a matter of time before I am proved correct - that visual snow is the ultimate result of genetically susceptible neurons. That is why docs think we are crazy. It's too bad actually that visual snow isn't more common - we could go to a Dr. who would tell us it is caused by X Y and Z rather than telling us we must be making it up. Afterall, how come when I read my social studies book, after the hippie movement in the 60s, there isn't a section talking about how half the hippies got HPPD?"

(starrant [subject #138], Ezboard forum Visual snow or static – Discussion - Did anyone take a SSRI? How did it effect the visual snow?, January 5, 2007)

"Honestly here is my take on visual snow which I have said before:

The root, root cause is genetics. Our visual network is genetically vulnerable to permanent disruption in the visual cortex. I was born with perfect vision. For 17 years, I had absolutely perfect vision. For 17 years, if you asked me what I saw in pitch black, I would have said black. Pure, non-light black. God that would be beautfiul... Then suddenly, something happened to me 10 years ago to change everything for me forever (or most likely till I die - I guess there is always the possiblity I could be cured). Something happened, which to this day, hasn't been figured out yet. I honestly have no true idea what happened in my visual cortex 10 years ago, but something happened. For me, the best guess is a migraine aura attack, as I took and have taken 0 illegal drugs in my entire life.

Now some people have severe migraine aura attacks every week, and guess what? Perfect, crystal clear, motionless vision in between these attacks that would send our genetically wussy visual cortexes screaming in agony like cowards. People smoke LSD like every day. And guess what? Many of these LSD, crack, and pot heads have crystal clear, motionless vision in between drug trips. I haven't been on the HPPD forum in so long, but I have read countless stories on how people got HPPD because someone said to them, dude I do LSD every day, and I am totally fine in between trips! Your vision returns to normal after a trip, dude.

So we are the unlucky ones with shitty visual cortex genetics. We could have had shitty blood and bone genetics and been born with bone cancer as a child, but hey, this is our burden to bear in this lifetime."

(starrant [subject #138], Yuku forum Visual snow or static – Discussion - What do you believe caused your VS?, January 18, 2008)

"Migraine had caused injury to my neurons that won't be picked up in a normal MRI. I've had migraine since I was a kid and didn't know that this could happen. Most people, most doctors, most neurologists aren't aware that it can. It's quite rare and is because of the nature of the migraines I have had in my life. It's most likely because of genetic neurological weakness combined with environmental factors. It sucks, but at least I know what it is now and know that it will most likely heal with time. I've to avoid migraine triggers in my diet and to take fish oil to help my brain heal."

(linzi [subject #56], artist's webpage at deviant art, February 3, 2006)

Five subjects (#1, #73, #120, #147, #217) had a positive family history of persistent perception disorder, suggesting a previously undescribed particular migraine subtype of familial persistent aura without infarction with an autosomal-dominant inheritance pattern with variable expression and penetrance (for further details see here).

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Pre-publication research on migraine with aura

NEW BOOK: Klaus Podoll & Derek Robinson, Migraine Art - The Migraine Experience from Within