CHARLES BONNET SYNDROME: THE FACTS

Charles Bonnet Syndrome can develop when someone loses 60 per cent of their sight. It can happen to people of any age, even children.

Commonly, sufferers report seeing figures dressed in period costume, such as Victorian, medieval or Edwardian. Others experience a variety of visions from distorted faces, animals and fire, to insects and cartoon characters.

The hallucinations happen because the brain creates images when it’s not getting enough information from the eye through reduced sight.

King’s College London neuroscientist Dr Dominic Ffytche is medical advisor to CBS campaign group Esme’s Umbrella, and the sole globally acknowledged expert on the syndrome. He explains:

“The nerve cells in the retina send a constant stream of impulses along the visual pathways, which are passed to the visual parts of the brain.

“If the retina is damaged, the stream of impulses reduces. Paradoxically the response of the brain is not to reduce but rather increase the cells firing, and it is this increase that causes hallucinations.”

The distressing condition was first documented by naturalist Charles Bonnet in 1760, when he attributed his grandfather’s vivid hallucinations to the glaucoma he had developed.

There is no cure, although some medications can help ease the symptoms. There are various coping strategies, from reaching out towards the hallucination, to walking into another room, or blinking.

Judith Potts launched Esme’s Umbrella five years ago in memory of her mother who feared mental illness when she began to experience hallucinations. She recalls: “Mum saw faceless people sat on her sofa – there was a tear-stained Edwardian street child who was there all the time and a hideous gargoyle. Another time she found herself in the middle of an Edwardian funeral procession.

“At first she managed it, but the hallucinations reached terrifying proportions and it took over her life.”

The syndrome is often mistaken for dementia or mental health issues, but Judith says: “It’s not a mental health condition, it’s caused entirely by loss of sight, but we don’t know why some people get it and others don’t.

“We need more research.”

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Face masks muffle the sounds of speech, particularly consonants, which makes speaking likely to be misunderstood – especially for people suffering from hearing loss.

Masks with clear plastic windows help lip reading at the cost of blocking more of the sound. Disposable surgical masks offer the best acoustic performance. Loosely woven cotton masks also perform well in this regard but they may not be as effective as surgical masks at blocking respiratory droplets.