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Eye-related visual hallucinations: consider 'Charles Bonnet syndrome'
Nilgun Cinar1, Sevki Sahin, Sibel Karsidag
1Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Maltepe University, Istanbul, Turkey. cinarnilgun@gmail.com
Indian Journal of Ophthalmology
|May 19, 2011
Summary
Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) causes visual hallucinations in older adults. A case study suggests pregabalin, a GABAergic drug, may improve CBS symptoms, warranting further clinical trials.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neurology
- Geriatrics
Background:
- Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) involves visual hallucinations in individuals with vision impairment but no cognitive decline.
- CBS is often associated with conditions like glaucoma, cataracts, or macular degeneration.
- Current treatments for CBS are limited, with no universally effective therapies established.
Observation:
- An 80-year-old male patient with glaucoma experienced a year of persistent visual hallucinations.
- Standard treatments, including dopamine agonists and cholinesterase inhibitors, provided no relief.
- The patient was concurrently treated with pregabalin for diabetic polyneuropathy.
Findings:
- The patient's visual hallucinations gradually diminished following the initiation of pregabalin therapy.
- This suggests a potential therapeutic role for GABAergic agents in managing CBS.
- The improvement was observed in the context of treatment for a separate neurological condition.
Implications:
- Pregabalin may represent a novel therapeutic option for Charles Bonnet Syndrome.
- Further placebo-controlled clinical trials are essential to validate the efficacy of pregabalin for CBS.
- This case highlights the potential interplay between neurological and ophthalmological conditions and their treatment.
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