Founder of the Visual Snow Initiative (VSI), Sierra Domb, is happy to announce that we have funded a new collaborative study investigating the efficacy and safety of medication to treat Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS). This study aims to explore if a pharmacological intervention, or medication, can safely target the very specific deficits associated with VSS, reduce visual symptoms, and improve quality of life for patients.
Please continue reading for more information.
New Collaborative Research
This novel research is a collaboration between members of the VSI’s Global Research Team. The principal investigators for VSI’s new VSS medication study include Dr. Peter Goadsby, Dr. Francesca Puledda, Dr. Christoph Schankin, and Sarah Aeschlimann.
Possible Outcomes
The identification of medication with therapeutic potential for VSS treatment could represent a breakthrough in clinical practice. The insights gained from this study can also have potential groundbreaking applications beyond VSS, including other conditions such as HPPD and more, which also involve visual disturbances and hallucinations. If researchers are able to identify a medication that proves to be effective, this could form the basis for the first effective pharmacological treatment options for VSS patients.
Further Details
This new clinical trial will be taking place at University Hospital of Bern, Department for Neurology, in Switzerland. Contingent upon the submission of an ethics application and approval from Swissmedic, study recruitment will begin thereafter. The expected completion of the study is July 2025. Administration and side effects will be carefully monitored by VSS researchers with expertise in the condition to ensure participant safety. They will take regular measurements of VSS severity, symptom reduction, quality of life, and side effects.
History
Despite intensive efforts, the development of effective pharmacological therapies for VSS has remained a challenge. Medications that have been tested were deemed ineffective by researchers, typically making symptoms worse or inducing no changes. Moreover, many people with VSS attribute the onset of their condition to the use of medication. While some individuals with VSS have expressed that there are medications that have helped them, no clinical evidence supports an effective pharmacological treatment for VSS. Additionally, these same medications make symptoms significantly worse for others and are even often associated with the onset of VSS. (For more information regarding this, please access our FAQ page.) Researchers required additional insights into the biology and pathophysiology of VSS before identifying possible targeted and effective treatments.
Progress
Studies funded and supported by VSI have helped discover new critical information about Visual Snow Syndrome’s biology, pathophysiology, symptomatology, and its mechanisms 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 alterations in serotonergic and glutamatergic neurotransmitter systems that may contribute to the pathophysiology of VSS.
In this new clinical trial, researchers will be investigating the potential efficacy and safety of medication that can target the very specific deficits associated with VSS.
Updates
For further details regarding this VSS medication study, participation, or any future developments, members of our Global Research Team will notify us when they have more information.
As always, VSI will be sure to the share updates we receive via our website, newsletter, and social media channels.
Thank you so much for your ongoing support!