Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 2, 2026

Partial Optic Nerve Transection in Rats: A Model Established with a New Operative Approach to Assess Secondary Degeneration of Retinal Ganglion Cells
13:12

Partial Optic Nerve Transection in Rats: A Model Established with a New Operative Approach to Assess Secondary Degeneration of Retinal Ganglion Cells

Published on: October 15, 2017

Charles Bonnet syndrome

Robert Yacoub1, Steven Ferrucci

  • 1Southern California College of Optometry, Fullerton, California, USA.

Optometry (St. Louis, Mo.)
|April 23, 2011
PubMed

Insights

Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) causes visual hallucinations in individuals with severe vision loss. Early identification and management of ocular conditions are key to addressing CBS symptoms.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Neurology

Background:

  • Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) is characterized by visual hallucinations in individuals with significant visual impairment.
  • Patients often have ocular diseases like macular degeneration or diabetic retinopathy, leading to reduced vision.
  • Fear of mental illness diagnosis makes patients hesitant to report these hallucinations.

Observation:

  • Presents three cases of Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) attributed to decreased vision.
  • Patients experienced visual hallucinations consistent with CBS.
  • One patient underwent MRI and psychological evaluation, confirming the diagnosis; two others received presumptive diagnoses due to testing refusal.

Findings:

  • The presented cases highlight the occurrence of CBS in patients with diminished visual acuity.
  • Diagnostic confirmation was achieved in one case through neuroimaging and psychological assessment.
  • Presumptive diagnoses were made in other cases based on clinical presentation.

Implications:

  • Management strategies include treating the underlying ocular disease and optimizing vision with low vision aids.
  • The aging population will likely lead to an increase in CBS cases.
  • Primary care optometrists must be familiar with CBS for accurate identification and patient support.
Abstract

More Related Videos

A Surgical Approach for Optic Nerve Crush in a Rabbit Model06:15

A Surgical Approach for Optic Nerve Crush in a Rabbit Model

Published on: July 8, 2025

Related Concept Videos

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways01:22

Photoreceptors and Visual Pathways

At the molecular level, visual signals trigger transformations in photopigment molecules, resulting in changes in the photoreceptor cell's membrane potential. The photon's energy level is denoted by its wavelength, with each specific wavelength of visible light associated with a distinct color. The spectral range of visible light, classified as electromagnetic radiation, spans from 380 to 720 nm. Electromagnetic radiation wavelengths exceeding 720 nm fall under the infrared category, whereas...
Prosopagnosia01:24

Prosopagnosia

Prosopagnosia, also known as face blindness, is the inability to recognize faces. In severe cases, individuals with prosopagnosia may not recognize close family members, including parents and spouses, by their faces. For instance, someone with prosopagnosia might walk past their child in a crowd, only realizing their mistake upon noticing their child's distinctive backpack or favorite jacket. Prosopagnosia specifically impairs facial recognition, while the recognition of other objects or...
Visual Agnosia01:12

Visual Agnosia

Visual agnosia is a condition characterized by the inability to recognize visually presented objects despite having normal vision. For instance, a person with visual agnosia can describe the shape and color of an object but cannot identify or name it. This impairment does not affect their visual field, acuity, color vision, brightness discrimination, language, or memory. An example of this condition in a social setting is someone at a dinner party asking for "that silver thing with a round end"...
Major Somatic Sensory Pathways01:28

Major Somatic Sensory Pathways

Sensory impulses related to touch, pressure, vibration, and proprioception from various body parts, such as the limbs, trunk, neck, and posterior head, travel to the cerebral cortex through the posterior column-medial lemniscus pathway. The pathway’s name derives from the two white-matter tracts that convey the impulses: the spinal cord's posterior column and the brainstem's medial lemniscus. First-order sensory neurons extend their axons into the spinal cord, forming the posterior columns...
Multiple Sclerosis l: Introduction01:19

Multiple Sclerosis l: Introduction

Multiple sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease of the central nervous system (CNS) that affects the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. It is an inflammatory demyelinating disorder and a leading cause of neurological disability in young adults.EpidemiologyMS commonly begins between 20 and 40 years of age and is twice as common in women. Its exact cause remains unclear, but genetic susceptibility contributes, with higher risk in first-degree relatives and identical twins. A greater...
Cranial Nerves: Types Part I01:14

Cranial Nerves: Types Part I

Cranial nerves are responsible for transmitting motor and sensory information between the brain and various parts of the body. There are twelve pairs of cranial nerves, with the first six being essential in sensory perception, motor control, and autonomic functions related to the head and neck.
Olfactory Nerve (Cranial Nerve I)
The olfactory nerve, or cranial nerve I, is unique as it is purely sensory and dedicated to the sense of smell. This nerve originates in the olfactory epithelium of the...