Author: Maartje van Meijel

September 17, 2024 – A new study investigating the effectiveness and safety of medication for the treatment of Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS) is being investigated. The goal of this study is to discover whether pharmacological treatment, or medication, can safely address the specific deficits associated with VSS, alleviate visual symptoms and thereby improve patients’ quality of life.

This groundbreaking research is a collaboration between Visual Snow Initiative and well-known VSS neurologists, other Dr. Peter Goadsby, Dr. Francesca Puledda, Dr. Christoph Schankin and Sarah Aeschlimann. The identification of medications with therapeutic potential to treat VSS could represent a breakthrough in clinical practice. If researchers succeed in identifying a medication that proves to be effective, it could form the basis for the first effective pharmacological treatment options for VSS patients.

This new clinical trial will take place at the University Hospital of Bern, Department of Neurology, in Switzerland. After submission of an ethics application and approval by Swissmedic, recruitment for the study will begin. The expected completion of the study is July 2025. Administration of the medication and possible side effects will be carefully monitored by VSS researchers with expertise in the condition to ensure the safety of participants. They will regularly measure the severity of VSS, reduction in symptoms, quality of life and any side effects.

Despite intensive efforts, the development of effective pharmacological therapies for VSS has remained a challenge. Medications tested to date were considered ineffective by researchers, with symptoms usually worsening or no changes occurring. Although some individuals with VSS have reported that certain medications have helped them, there is no clinical evidence to support an effective pharmacological treatment for VSS. Researchers needed more insights into the cause and pathophysiology of VSS before they could identify possible targeted and effective treatments.

Recent studies had revealed new crucial information about the cause, pathophysiology, symptomatology and mechanisms of Visual Snow Syndrome as a network disorder. By comparing the distribution of receptors in different brain regions and functional connectivity patterns, a recent study was able to identify changes in the serotonergic and glutamatergic neurotransmitter systems that may contribute to the pathophysiology of VSS. In this new clinical trial, researchers will investigate the potential effectiveness and safety of medications that target the specific deficits associated with VSS.

We’ll keep you up to date as soon as more news is known.

May 7, 2024 –

Dr. Schankin and Dr. Klein of Inselspital Bern (Switzerland) will initiate a new study on neuromodulation for VSS. This research investigates how transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) can modulate overactive neural networks in the brain, potentially leading to new treatment options for VSS. Dr. Schankin and Dr. Klein’s techniques are aimed at reducing several common VSS symptoms, including visual snow/static, palinopsia, entoptic
symptoms, photophobia and nyctalopia.

The underlying idea behind VSS is that multiple neural networks in the brain remain overactive, bombarding the visual system with excess information. TACS, however, offers the ability to modulate these networks. Dr. Schankin and Dr. Klein’s primary goal is to pinpoint the specific areas of the brain where something is not functioning properly. To accomplish this, they are combining several diagnostic markers with a treatment-oriented methodology.

Their research will begin with a comprehensive visual test, MRI and electroencephalogram (EEG) measurements. Dr. Schankin and Dr. Klein are particularly interested in observing how this stimulation affects VSS symptoms, how it affects performance on tasks and whether there are changes in EEG patterns in patients with VSS.

August 11, 2023: Researchers from King’s College London are sharing their latest discovery: The activity of glutamate and serotonin differs in individuals with VSS compared to those without the condition, potentially triggering the identification of biomarkers and fostering hope for future pharmacological treatments.

Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS) has long mystified researchers due to its poorly understood neuropharmacological underpinnings. Seeking to demystify this perplexing condition, a pioneering study harnessed the power of cutting-edge technology. By combining receptor target maps with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data at rest, the goal was to decipher which neurotransmitters might be orchestrating the brain circuits linked to VSS.

The study employed a novel technique called Receptor-Enriched Analysis of Functional Connectivity by Targets (REACT). This innovative approach delved into the intricate functional networks influenced by five distinct neurotransmitter systems. Participants included individuals with VSS (n = 24), healthy controls (HCs; n = 24), and migraine patients (MIG; n = 25, including 15 with migraine with aura [MwA]). REACT utilized receptor density templates for pivotal neurotransmitter receptors and transporters, such as noradrenaline, dopamine, serotonin, GABA-A, NMDA, 5HT1B, and 5HT2A. These templates facilitated the creation of personalized, voxel-level functional connectivity (FC) maps. These individualized maps were then meticulously compared across the three groups: HCs, MIG, and VSS.

Fascinating outcomes emerged from this exploration. Individuals grappling with VSS exhibited diminished FC within glutamatergic networks situated in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). This divergence was evident when juxtaposed with both HCs and patients with migraines. Moreover, a notable reduction in FC within serotoninergic networks surfaced in regions like the insula, temporal pole, and orbitofrontal cortex. These patterns mirrored observations made in individuals with migraine with aura. Of significant interest, VSS patients showcased reduced FC within networks rich in the 5HT2A receptor. These networks were primarily located in occipito-temporo-parietal association cortices. Subgroup analyses revealed that these alterations were not only independent of migraine influences but also akin to changes seen in patients with migraine with aura.

This study’s implications are far-reaching. It highlights the pivotal roles of glutamate and serotonin in rewiring brain connectivity, impacting domains associated with visual processing, salience detection, and emotional responses within the context of VSS. Importantly, altered serotonergic connectivity in VSS stands on its own, unrelated to migraines. Nonetheless, the striking resemblance to patterns seen in migraine with aura underscores a shared biological foundation between these distinct disorders.




(Source: ANN NEUROL 2023)