#ENTOPTIC PHENOMENA BLUE FIELD FULL#

One study examined the prevalence and correlates in the general population. Even some people in clinical studies are not worried about it. Many people experiencing visual snow may not be worried by this experience, as indicated by numerous anecdotal reports on the internet. Only those patients then typically enter the clinical studies. A subgroup of persons experiencing the visual snow phenomenon may be worried about it and seek clinical assessment of potentially serious causes. Most research on visual snow has been conducted with clinical samples. Visual snow appears to be unrelated to ophthalmologic problems, but co-occurs frequently with migraine and tinnitus.

The term “visual snow syndrome” was proposed when it occurs with other visual phenomena, like palinopsia (after-images or visual trailing), photophobia (oversensitivity to light), nyctalopia (night-blindness), and entoptic phenomena (visual phenomena arising with sources in the eye. Visual snow has attracted much attention in recent years, often with the implication that it is a pathological and rare condition. They can also be described as brighter than the background or colorful. The dots are often described as bright on dark backgrounds and dark on light backgrounds. Visual snow refers to a visual phenomenon characterized by tiny flickering dots occupying the entire visual field.

More research is needed to uncover underlying neurophysiological mechanisms and psychological and behavioral correlates. Visual snow has been insufficiently investigated. The results were similar to those in Study 1, but seeing visual snow 80%-100% of the time was less frequent (6.5% in Study 2 and 3.6% in Study 3).

#ENTOPTIC PHENOMENA BLUE FIELD FULL#

In Studies 2 and 3, visual snow was measured by means of verbal descriptions without graphic simulation (“visual field full of tiny dots of light” and “world seen with many dots of light”, respectively). High fascination with visual snow was reported by 9%. Although distress caused by visual snow was generally absent or minimal in our samples, a substantial minority (28%) reported moderate to high levels of distress.

It was confirmed that visual snow is related to absorption. Similar to findings in clinical samples, the frequency of visual snow correlated with tinnitus frequency and entoptic phenomena, but not with ophthalmologic problems. 44% of respondents reported they see visual snow at least 10% of the time, and 20% reported seeing it between 80% and 100% of the time. Absorption was measured with the Modified Tellegen Absorption Scale. They also reported their degree of distress and fascination resulting from visual snow. In Study 1, 564 participants were shown an animated graphic simulation of visual snow and asked to rate how frequently they have similar percepts on a scale anchored by 0% and 100% of their waking time. The prevalence and correlates of visual snow, and emotional reactions to it, were explored in the general Portuguese population with three studies with online surveys. It appears to result from visual cortex hyperactivity and possibly correlates with propensity to be engrossed in sensory and imaginary experiences (absorption). Visual snow is a condition of unclear prevalence characterized by tiny flickering dots throughout the entire visual field.

Entoptic phenomena blue field