Bonnet Syndrome: Harmless Illusions

As Albert K. one day, his üusual walk, he marveled not bad. Since tats&auml were;take two identical classic cars, on the other Straßinside of the arm. As a model he had in younger days.

Car he can’t drive today: The 64-jäover the years and it MüMunich is suffering from macular degeneration. But what he saw there, was not clear to him that his perception of something is wrong.

Üeverywhere colorful small Mäeven an

Although K. due to illness, no more sharp can see, he noticed mostly in the Dädusk had always colorful little people and animals moving in front of his eyes, partially distorted faces or smiled, but never said something and they disappeared, often after hours. To weißen Wäthe saw K. flowers, lamps, or abstract geometric figures, which increased often.

Silence out of fear

He knew that all this was real. But he was afraid of his family to erzämiss, let alone to go to the doctor. He was verrückt has become?

"So many sehgeschw&auml think;killed patients, the haben&quot such hallucinations;, weiß Professor Wolfgang Heide, Celle, specialist für neuro-ophthalmology at the German society für neurology. The Phänoun relates to, in particular, people with ausgeprägter Sehschwäche.

Numerous Auslöser

Causes dafür are, for example, Trüpromptings of the eye lens, macular degeneration, diabetic retinal disease, or Schlagan­fälle in the visual centers of the brain. Depending on the underlying disease to go up to 57 percent of the people Affected and, again, things, people, or geometric figures that are not even there.

Augenädoctors know the Problem, but often forget that their patients indicate that möpossible phantom images occur köcan. The Swiss researchers Charles Bonnet described the syndrome in 18. Century for the first time, according to him it is named.

The brain connected to the nervous new

Today weiß that also people with a strong Hörschwäche acoustic Trugwahr­recesses have köcan. You hören, known or unknown music, although it is around you, maybe mucksmäcartridge is still.

Erklären läthe Charles Bonnet syndrome with the property of the brain, the nerve cells need to re-welded the old sst. "If a certain part of the Brain – how about the area of sharpest vision, the so-called Seh­cortex in the occipital lobe – due to a disorder of the sense organs, for example, the eyes or the Sinnes­nervous, not enough Sinnes­­information erhält, the Verknüpfungen umfunktioniert", erläneurologist explained Heath. In addition, it happens sometimes that the affected Hirna­­real in the visual cortex plöin addition, a certain Eigenaktivität develop. The könne the hallucinations produce.

Tablets as Unterstüup

Some patients füfeel the syndrome is massively gestört. If you have a Erkläthe Phäthe noun is not genügt, medikamentöse Maßis took sometimes an Option. Because some epileptic Anfälle äsimilar symptoms, könne in the individual case, treatment with drugs from the group of anti-epileptic drugs help.

Clearly hä- stage specific Anti&shy but;depressants against the Halluzina­tions. "Especially für the akus­tables Phäphenomena have Anti­depressants the best effect gezeigt", Wolfgang Heide says. He rät Affected to a Unter­examination with a neurologist and a psychiatrist.

To have a mental illness if it were in the Charles Bonnet ­Syndrome ­however, do not. Important a diagnosis m&ouml but;acute concomitant diseases. Especially &auml show;older people with early dementia often have hallucinations, Visual or Hörschwäche is based. Then a Behandlungs&shy can;­experiment with drugs against Demenz­diseases worth, the läother wore perceptions unterdrücover.

With the illusions deal

In many Fäcases, disappearance of the phantom images in the course of time, weiß Rehabilitation specialist teacher-Claus-Bernhard from Jersbek. He beschäis engaged in long-Bonnet syndrome, because he had to do both in the own family as well as professionally. He räto make t be Concerned, be aware of the Problem on the Mirage reach out and try to handle it. "Then löst it auf", Bernhard says.

It would also be Affected, the ability to cope with the symptoms. About the woman on the journey of Lübeck and Bremen the views of the castles of the Rhine valley, quite deliberately, genießen. Thus, Albert K. k&uuml want it;in the future, also: He is happy in secret, näto see the most again Oldtimer.