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Visual Perception in Visual Snow Syndrome
Cassandra J Brooks1,2,3, Bao N Nguyen1, Allison M McKendrick1,2,3
11Department of Optometry and Vision Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Annual Review of Vision Science
|March 13, 2026
Summary
Visual snow syndrome (VSS) is a neurological condition characterized by visual disturbances. Research is advancing our understanding of VSS through perceptual assessments and neurobiology, aiding diagnosis and treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Ophthalmology
- Neurology
Background:
- Visual snow syndrome (VSS) is a neurological disorder gaining recognition, with ICD-11 inclusion in 2025.
- Current VSS diagnosis relies on symptom-based criteria and patient-reported visual phenomena.
- Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of VSS is crucial for advancing research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review current knowledge on visual perceptual performance in VSS.
- To connect visual perception findings with potential neurobiological mechanisms.
- To identify future research directions and challenges in the VSS field.
Main Methods:
- Review of existing literature on visual perception in VSS.
- Analysis of novel visual perceptual assessments for symptom quantification.
- Discussion of neurobiological correlates of VSS symptoms.
Main Results:
- VSS research is rapidly evolving, with new perceptual assessments enabling symptom quantification.
- Studies are beginning to elucidate the neurobiological basis of VSS visual disturbances.
- Interindividual differences in VSS symptoms are being identified.
Conclusions:
- Visual perceptual research is key to understanding VSS.
- Quantifying VSS symptoms aids clinical trials and mechanistic studies.
- Further research into VSS neurobiology is needed to address diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.
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