This book describes Charles Bonnet Syndrome (Visual Release Hallucinations), Diagnosis and Treatment and Related Diseases

Charles Bonnet Syndrome is a not well known disorder and often misdiagnosed for other illnesses.

Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS) is a disorder in which a person with partial or complete vision loss (partial or total blindness) develops complex visual hallucinations.

The complex hallucinations linked with Charles Bonnet Syndrome normally comprise small animated (cartoon) images or faces.

CBS or Visual Release Hallucinations is relatively frequent among the visually-impaired

The affected patients are normally aware that the hallucinations are not real.

The frequency of visual hallucinations differs from one person to another.

Some may feel the hallucinations intermittently while others feel them daily or continuously.

These hallucinations are occasionally called ‘phantom images’ or ‘phantom vision’.

These phantom images correlate to a person’s usual visual experience.

The hallucinations patients with CBS feel can be portrayed as simple or complex.

Simple hallucinations comprise shapes and patterns while complex hallucinations comprise images of people, vehicles, animals, and plants.

Hallucination episodes can vary from a few seconds to hours and may repeatedly happen over the course of several days to years.

Most people who have Charles Bonnet syndrome have very poor vision but the Charles Bonnet syndrome can also affect people who have only a slight loss of vision or even normal vision.

The most common risk factors for developing Charles Bonnet Syndrome cause either central or peripheral vision loss:

Age-related macular degeneration

Glaucoma

Cataracts

Diabetic retinopathy

Retinitis pigmentosa

Optic neuritis

Retinal vascular occlusion

Stroke

Doctors believe the brain creates fantasy pictures or releases old pictures that are kept there to compensate for not getting images through the eyes.

There are 2 principal methods of contracting Charles Bonnet syndrome:

The result of a wide range of eye diseases - more frequent

The result of other medical disorders (e.g., stroke) or various eye procedures - Less frequent.

The hallucinatory images often happen with natural objects observed with the remaining vision.

The person might be diagnosed with Charles Bonnet syndrome if the person has:

Vision impairment

Complex visual hallucination or phantom images recently

Known what the person saw was not real (i.e., no delusions)

Knowledge that the person is not mentally ill

No noticeable issues with thinking or memory.

Not have hallucinations involving other senses, such as the hearing.

The images are solely visual (i.e., hallucinations cannot be heard, smelled, tasted or touched)

There is no known curative treatment for Charles Bonnet syndrome.

Doctors have tried medicines but they did not work.

Symptoms often improve with time, possibly because the brain becomes used to receiving fewer images to process.

However it may take years for the hallucinations to stop

The treatment measures for Charles Bonnet Syndrome may involve:

Treating the underlying cause of vision loss such as age-related macular degeneration, cataract, glaucoma, etc.

Vision aids to improve existing vision

Providing patient reassurance and emotional support

Administration of anti-epileptic or anti-anxiety medications, as needed

The restoration of vision has been shown to reduce or eliminate the visual hallucinations from Charles Bonnet Syndrome, in some cases

TABLE OF CONTENT

Introduction

Chapter 1 Charles Bonnet Syndrome

Chapter 2 Causes

Chapter 3 Symptoms

Chapter 4 Diagnosis

Chapter 5 Treatment

Chapter 6 Prognosis

Chapter 7 Hallucinations

Chapter 8 Vision Loss

Epilogue