Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2024 Sep 10;44(1):375.
doi: 10.1007/s10792-024-03298-0.

Epidemiology and phenomenology of the Charles Bonnet syndrome in low-vision patients

Sophia E G Christoph  1   2 , Karl T Boden  1 , Annette Pütz  1 , Kai Januschowski  1   2   3 , Rudolf Siegel  4 , Berthold Seitz  5 , Peter Szurman  1   2 , André Schulz  6   7   8
Affiliations

Epidemiology and phenomenology of the Charles Bonnet syndrome in low-vision patients

Sophia E G Christoph et al. Int Ophthalmol. .

Abstract

Background: The occurrence of visual hallucinations in visually impaired people without mental impairment is known as Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS). To date, the prevalence of CBS has been reported with high variance. The present study aims at evaluating the prevalence of CBS among low-vision patients.

Methods: From March 2018 to February 2022, 194 patients with a visual acuity ≥ 0.5 logMAR approached the low vision section of the Eye Clinic Sulzbach. Of these, 50 patients were found eligible, agreed to participate in the study and were screened for CBS. The course of the disease, its phenomenology and characteristics, the circumstance of onset, the ability to manipulate and resolve the hallucinations, and the psychosocial aspects of CBS were investigated.

Results: 26% of patients with low vision suffered from CBS. Women did not suffer from CBS significantly more often than men. Often, insight into the unreality of the images is not achieved immediately. Patterns or so-called "simple" hallucinations occurred just as frequently as other types of images such as people, body parts or faces. The most frequent images were animals. Visual hallucinations, lasting only for seconds in most cases, occurred more frequently during the day and in bright surroundings. All patients experienced the hallucinations exclusively with their eyes open. The hallucinations generally did not move with the eyes. Many sufferers did neither communicate about their hallucinations nor consult any physician.

Conclusions: CBS among low-vision patients is common. Its prevalence constitutes clinical relevance. Future management of CBS may benefit from encouraging patients to share their experiences and consult a physician.

Keywords: Charles Bonnet’s Syndrome; Epidemiology; Low-vision patients; Macular degeneration; Prevalence; Visual hallucinations.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Graphic illustration of the distribution of ophthalmic conditions among the overall population. Multiple selections were possible
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

References

    1. Bonnet C (1769) Essai analytique sur les facultés de l’ame, 2nd ed. Philibert, Copenhagen and Geneva
    1. de Morsier G (1967) The Charles Bonnet syndrome: visual hallucinations in the aged without mental deficiency. Ann Med Psychol (Paris) 2:678–702 - PubMed
    1. Gold K, Rabins PV (1989) Isolated visual hallucinations and the Charles Bonnet syndrome: a review of the literature and presentation of six cases. Compr Psychiatry 30:90–98. 10.1016/0010-440x(89)90122-3 - PubMed
    1. Damas-Mora J, Skelton-Robinson M, Jenner FA (1982) The Charles Bonnet syndrome in perspective. Psychol Med 12:251–261. 10.1017/s0033291700046584 - PubMed
    1. Lerario A, Ciammola A, Poletti B et al (2013) Charles Bonnet syndrome: two case reports and review of the literature. J Neurol 260:1180–1186. 10.1007/s00415-013-6857-7 - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources