Recovery from cortical blindness with mepivacaïne

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurology
• Ophthalmology

Background:

• Cortical blindness can result from bilateral occipital strokes, leading to severe visual impairment.
• Current treatments for vision loss after stroke are limited, often focusing on adaptation rather than restoration.

Observation:

• A patient experiencing cortical blindness post-stroke showed temporary vision recovery in the right visual field after mepivacaine injection.
• This visual improvement was reproducible and allowed the patient to function normally.

Findings:

• The duration of visual recovery was significantly increased with the addition of paroxetine.
• Brain imaging revealed restored functional connectivity between intact perilesional cortex and distant brain areas, correlating with visual improvement.

Implications:

• This serendipitous finding suggests a potential novel therapeutic approach for visual deficits following brain lesions.
• The mechanism may extend to treating other nonvisual handicaps caused by neurological damage.
• Further research into anesthetic and antidepressant adjuncts could unlock new avenues for neurorehabilitation.