Visual Hallucinations During Prolonged Blindfolding in Sighted Subjects

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Title Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology, June 2004, Volume 24, Issue 2
Date 2004-06
Language eng
Format application/pdf
Type Text
Publication Type Journal Article
Collection Neuro-Ophthalmology Virtual Education Library: Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology Archives: https://novel.utah.edu/jno/
Publisher Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
Holding Institution Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, University of Utah
Rights Management © North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society
ARK ark:/87278/s6jh6s9g
Setname ehsl_novel_jno
ID 225407
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6jh6s9g

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Title Visual Hallucinations During Prolonged Blindfolding in Sighted Subjects
Creator Merabet, LB; Maguire, D; Warde, A; Alterescu, K; Stickgold, R; Pascual-Leone, A
Affiliation Laboratory for Magnetic Brain Stimulation, Department of Neurology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
Abstract The authors report the occurrence of visual hallucinations of varying complexity in 13 normal subjects after sudden, complete, and prolonged visual deprivation. The subjects were all healthy individuals with no history of cognitive dysfunction, psychosis, or ocular pathology. They wore a specially designed blindfold for a period of five consecutive days (96 hours) and were asked to record their daily experiences using a hand-held microcassette recorder. Ten (77%) of the subjects reported visual hallucinations, which were both simple (bright spots of light) and complex (faces, landscapes, ornate objects). The onset of hallucinations was generally after the first day of blindfolding. Subjects were insightful as to their unreal nature. These results indicate that rapid and complete visual deprivation is sufficient to induce visual hallucinations in normal subjects.
Subject Adult; Bandages; Female; Hallucinations/etiology; Humans; Male; Physical Stimulation; Reference Values; Sensory Deprivation; Time Factors; Touch; Vision
OCR Text Show
Format application/pdf
Publication Type Journal Article
Collection Neuro-Ophthalmology Virtual Education Library: Journal of Neuro-Ophthalmology Archives: https://novel.utah.edu/jno/
Publisher Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins
Holding Institution Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, University of Utah
Rights Management © North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society
Setname ehsl_novel_jno
ID 225392
Reference URL https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6jh6s9g/225392
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