Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39318133›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of neurology2024

Prevalence and characteristics of visual snow syndrome in a cohort of young Italian adults.

Marina Romozzi, Vincenzo Trigila, Federico Tosto, Giovanni Cuffaro, David García-Azorín, Luigi Francesco Iannone, Pietro Romozzi, Gustavo Savino, Paolo Calabresi, Francesca Puledda and 1 more

Abstract read
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Article in European journal of neurology, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Marina RomozziDipartimento Universitario di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-6016-3141
Vincenzo TrigilaDipartimento Universitario di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Federico TostoDepartment of Neuroscience, "Giovanni Paolo II" Hospital, Lamezia Terme, Italy.
Giovanni CuffaroOculistica, Fondazione Policlinico, Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
David García-AzorínHospital Universitario Rio Hortega, Valladolid, Spain.ORCID 0000-0002-3132-1064
Luigi Francesco IannoneSection of Clinical Pharmacology and Oncology, Department of Health Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
Pietro RomozziDipartimento di Scienze Farmaceutiche, Università degli Studi di Perugia, Perugia, Italy.
Gustavo SavinoOculistica, Fondazione Policlinico, Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Paolo CalabresiDipartimento Universitario di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
Francesca PuleddaHeadache Group, Wolfson SPaRRC, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.ORCID 0000-0002-1933-4049
Catello VollonoDipartimento Universitario di Neuroscienze, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundVisual snow (VS) and visual snow syndrome (VSS) are becoming increasingly recognized. However, their prevalence worldwide is unknown. This study aimed to investigate lifetime prevalence and describe the clinical characteristics of VS and VSS in a representative population sample from Italy.

methodsThis cross-sectional study was conducted among students attending different faculties in three universities in the central and southern regions of Italy. Eligible participants completed a self-administered questionnaire. In patients fulfilling possible criteria for VS/VSS, the diagnosis was validated by an on-site visit conducted by experienced neurologists and neuro-ophthalmologists that included optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA).

resultsA total of 750 participants completed the study. Seven (0.9%) reported symptoms compatible with VS (mean age 24.8 ± 3.85 years). Among the seven patients, five (0.7%) also met the phenomenological and temporal criteria for VSS. Neuroimaging and ophthalmological examinations showed normal results upon review or during the on-site visit including OCTA. For the five patients with full VSS, the other visual symptoms reported were enhanced entoptic phenomenon (n = 5), photophobia (n = 5), palinopsia (n = 1), and nyctalopia (n = 4). In four of the seven patients (57%) reporting VS symptoms, there was a concomitant diagnosis of migraine with aura, and in one (14%) migraine without aura. All patients (n = 7) reported tinnitus. Six of the seven (85.7%) patients with VS/VSS had never used specific treatments for the condition. None of the seven patients had received a previous diagnosis of VS/VSS.

conclusionsThe prevalence in Italy of VSS is around 1%. However, there is a limited tendency for affected individuals to seek medical attention, leading to a low rate of diagnosis and treatment.

Indexed as

Vision DisordersAdultCohort StudiesCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansItalyMalePerceptual DisordersPrevalenceSyndromeTomography, Optical CoherenceYoung Adultmigrainepalinopsiaprevalencetinnitusvisual snow

Identifiers

PMID39318133
PMCPMC11555012

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.