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Author: Klaus Podoll, Markus Dahlem, Sofia Greene	15. December 2007
Edited by: Klaus Podoll, Markus Dahlem, Sofia Greene

Medical tests in subjects with HPPD

Unknown artist, LSD With Dr Seuss

Ophthalmological, neurological and psychiatric examination as well as CCT or MRI of the brain are obligatory medical tests in subjects with HPPD. Abraham and Duffy (1996) have used quantitative EEG (qEEG) as a research method to document abnormalities in HPPD patients versus controls, but for the pupose of individual diagnostics this test is unnecessary.

Medical tests in 30 HPPD subjects
Medical test	Number of subjects
ophthalmological examination	9 (subjects #2, #72, #114, #190, #191, #245, #260, #268, #434)
neuro-ophthalmological examination	2 (subjects #72, #434)
neurological examination	10 (subjects #72, #103, #114, #190, #245, #260, #268, #434, #437, #442)
psychiatric examination	5 (subjects #95, #100, #103, #404, #434)
psychological examination	1 (subject #114)
child psychological examination	1 (subject #101)
CCT	2 (subjects #191, #442)
MRI	8 (subjects #91, #103, #114, #191, #245, #260, #268, #434, #437)
EEG	6 (subjects #91, #190, #191, #245, #260, #268)
qEEG	0
lumbar puncture	1 (subject #437)
Lyme serology	1 (subject #434)

After having visited an ophthalmologist (9 subjects), a neurologist (10 subjects), psychiatrist (5 subjects), neuro-ophthalmologist (2 subject), optometrist (1 subject), psychologist (1 subject) or child psychologist (1 subject), only 4 subjects (13,3 %) got a formal diagnosis of HPPD (subjects #99, #100, #103, #114) by their primary or secondary care doctors. In 2 of them (subjects #100, #103), the diagnosis had been made by Dr. Henry David Abraham. One subject (#268) was diagnosed by his neurologist as suffering from visual snow. One subject (#434) was diagnosed as having Lyme disease, but long-term antibiotic treatment over 2 years was unsuccessful. Many subjects reported that they had met with negative reactions of their doctors, having felt rejected on the grounds of their illegal drug abuse.

I have decided that when I talk to any doctors in the future, I will omit my drug history

"I went to a doctor... and explained to her the symptoms I was experiencing (which were very real and not made up to me), as well as the fact that I had done a few hallucinogens; she basically shooed me out of her office and acted like I was nuts and wasting her time. I remember that I was very articulate in explaining what I was experiencing, so it was not that. I think that she just heard the word 'drugs' and dismissed me as an idiot... Their response, when I told them my symptoms and my drug history was basically 'Huh, I have no idea. I really can't help you. Bye!' I have decided that when I talk to any doctors in the future, I will omit my drug history because it seems to make them immediately give up any hope of helping."

(positivity77 [subject #190], Ezboard forum Visual snow or static – Discussion – Positivity77 – My story, September 25, 2006)

References

Abraham HD, Duffy FH. Stable quantitative EEG difference in post-LSD visual disorder by split-half analysis: evidence for disinhibition. Psychiatry Res 1996; 67:173-187. [PDF]
Abraham HD, Duffy FH. EEG coherence in post-LSD visual hallucinations Psychiatry Res 2001; 107: 151-163. [PDF]

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