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SYMPTOMS | PATHOMECHANISMS | HISTORY

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Author: Klaus Podoll, Markus Dahlem, Sofia Greene	01. September 2007
Edited by: Klaus Podoll, Markus Dahlem, Sofia Greene

Familial visual snow

The Ezboard forum Visual snow or static includes posts from 2 VS sufferers who reported a familial aggregation of persisting VS, with 2 family members being affected in 2 generations. A similar post was written by a third VS sufferer at the Message Board of the American Foundation for the Blind, recording 3 family members in 3 generations. Interestingly, one of these 3 "index" VS sufferers mentioned having been diagnosed with migraine (michelle77). It is well known that migraine has a strong genetic component, so that it is suggested that the familial cases of persisting VS may well be explained by familial persistent aura without infarction. Of the 5 subjects for whom age at onset of familial persisting VS was stated in the posts at the Ezboard forum, two had it "since ever", "my entire life" (so-called VS "lifer" according to an expression from nbains), 2 since childhood (from the age of 5 or 7, respectively) and only one had an onset at adult age (27 years). The low age of onset of these subjects with familial persisting VS is well compatible with the hypothesis of their representing cases of familial persistent aura without infarction. A study that compared the clinical characteristics of patients with severe familial non-hemiplegic migraine with aura (NHMA) with migraine with aura in the general population showed that the age at onset was significantly lower in patients with NHMA (Eriksen et al., 2004). The observations of familial persisting VS from the Ezboard forum Visual snow or static and similar web forums encourage further studies to assess whether such subjects fulfil the diagnostic criteria of persistent aura without infarction.

Age at onset of familial VS in seven subjects from three families
	illuminati primus	michelle77	ScottAlan
index VS sufferer	5 years	27 years	my entire life
mother	since ever		unknown
daughter			unknown
son		7 years

Illuminati primus and his mother

According to a post from the Ezboard forum user illuminati primus, both he and his mother have seen visual snow from childhood on. As the age of onset of visual snow was well before the onset of multiple drug use (including hallucinogens like LSD, psilocybin and mescaline), HPPD can be ruled out as the cause of his persistent visual snow, although this disorder may have contributed to the various visual disturbances that occurred after his first trip.

"I found this board today and the simulator... Well I have these effects since ever and they are normal for me.

I asked many people about this VS because it's rare that someone really see this like I see it and can control the speed and also the intensity of the snow.

I learned to control it like also the afterimages that appear around objects or also are floating in air and drift down, they can be stopped in midair and moved where I want, it is possible. I can also concentrate the visual snow or change the speed of the flicker.... My mother explained me as I was 10-12 years old that this is energy, well she has VS too since ever.

So for me this is a sort of energy, the fact that I can control its intensity and move the concentrated ball or object I form in air also speaks for this theory... I don't know really what it is and why this works but it does and I do it since I'm aware of (5 year old)... I had this sort of things as I was under 10 years and well I not really wanted it, it started from alone."

(illuminati primus, Ezboard forum Visual snow or static – Discussion - I have VS and After Images since i'm 5 Year old, June 30, 2005)

Michelle77 and her son

michelle77 started to see persistent floaters, bubbles and puddles in fall 2004, aged 27. In addition to that, she has a history of recurring attacks of transitory visual symptoms such as seeing lightning bolts, blurry vision, or diplopia followed by dark colored pulsating in her peripheral vision, the last mentioned attack lasting about 20-30 minutes and diagnosed by an ophthalmologist as migraine with aura (see here). Her 7-year-old son reported constantly seeing "spots of colored lights at night when going to bed" and "little bugs in the sky". The available data suggest a diagnosis of familial persistent aura without infarction in both mother and son. (For a more detailed account of michelle77's case history see here.)

"I am a 28 year old mother with a son who is 7. He has vs as I do. He knows nothing of the issues I have with my vision and yet complains of the same visuals. First he started out telling me he could see spots of colored lights at night when going to bed. He then tells me of his light sensitivity and little bugs in the sky. He always squints in the light and has alot of neck and back problems. Now here is the kicker he suffers from anxiety disorder. He is defiently 7 going on 37 highly intelligent like his father but shares my mental issues which I totally believe vs has a lot to do with. I'm not saying I am ready to go to the stretcher but I have panic attacks and high anxiety which to look at me you would never guess. I believe stress and anxiety are the problem with vs. Reading over the past post it is so apparent. When my spirits are up I do great going long periods not noticing. When I get depressed or anxious I can hardly see. Speaking with my son this morning really provoked more thought."

(michelle77, Ezboard forum Visual snow or static – Archive 2 - 7 year old son has vs and other symtoms, August 18, 2005)

ScottAlan, his mother, and his daughter

"I have seen these dots my entire life. Kept it to myself until my 6 year old daughter asked me about them. They look like TV static and are everywhere. They don't bother me or her. And turns out my mother can see them as well. Interestingly the dots change size and speed and my daughter can see the exact same changes at the same time. They are easiest to see in twilight or darkness but I see them whenever I want. My daughter the same."

(ScottAlan, American Foundation for the Blind – Message Boards – Eye conditions – Seeing dots, June 17, 2007)

References

Eriksen MK, Thomsen LL, Andersen I, Nazim F, Olesen J. Clinical characteristics of 362 patients with familial migraine with aura. Cephalalgia 2004; 24: 564-575.

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