Increased Vulnerability to Pattern-Related Visual Stress in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis

[Kyla]

http://pec.sagepub.com/content/early/2015/11/03/0301006615614467.abstract
(paywalled)

1. Rachel L. Wilson
2. Kevin B. Paterson
3. Claire V. Hutchinson⇑

1. ch190@le.ac.uk

Abstract
The objective of this study was to determine vulnerability to pattern-related visual stress in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). A total of 20 ME/CFS patients and 20 matched (age, gender) controls were recruited to the study. Pattern-related visual stress was determined using the Pattern Glare Test. Participants viewed three patterns, the spatial frequencies (SF) of which were 0.3 (low-SF), 2.3 (mid-SF), and 9.4 (high-SF) cycles per degree (c/deg). They reported the number of distortions they experienced when viewing each pattern. ME/CFS patients exhibited significantly higher pattern glare scores than controls for the mid-SF pattern. Mid-high SF differences were also significantly higher in patients than controls. These findings provide evidence of altered visual perception in ME/CFS. Pattern-related visual stress may represent an identifiable clinical feature of ME/CFS that will prove useful in its diagnosis. However, further research is required to establish if these symptoms reflect ME/CFS-related changes in the functioning of sensory neural pathways

 

[MeSci]

It would be interesting to see the full article.

I have serious problems with moving or changing images or patterns on websites. It makes it very hard for me to find what I am looking for. The online supermarket I use has these on the log-in page, and it frazzles both my eyes and my brain, making it hard to log in. It's a similar effect to when I inhale an artificial perfume, or two or more people are talking at once.

I suspect that it's to do with our inability to filter out unwanted stimuli, thus susceptibility to overstimulation.

 

[snowathlete]

Interesting. Worth exploring.

 

[Sidereal]

Interesting.

 

[Scarecrow]

ME Association, please take note.

 

[Vasha]

Really interesting. This also fits my experience.

I wonder if similar studies have been done with other groups, for example, migraineurs having a migraine, or people with autism.

 

[Marco]

Without the details it's hard to tell what this study paradigm implies but I've thought for a long time that there might be a lot to learn from these basic 'signal processing' pathways using often overlooked 'older' technologies such as evoked potentials and even as a psychology undergrad we had access to tools such as tachistoscopes for looking at issues involved in visual processing (much easier to do these days with PC's).

I'd bet that whatever is going on with our brains would be likely to show up in early sensory processing.

 

[Battery Muncher]

V interesting

 

[Kyla]

Without the details it's hard to tell what this study paradigm implies but I've thought for a long time that there might be a lot to learn from these basic 'signal processing' pathways using often overlooked 'older' technologies such as evoked potentials and even as a psychology undergrad we had access to tools such as tachistoscopes for looking at issues involved in visual processing (much easier to do these days with PC's).

I'd bet that whatever is going on with our brains would be likely to show up in early sensory processing.

This researcher (Claire V. Hutchinson ) has published several previous studies on this topic.

this one is open access:
http://journals.lww.com/optvissci/F..._Abnormal_Visual_Attention_in_Myalgic.12.aspx

 

[Marco]

Thanks Kyla.

I think I read their previous study that found problems with smooth pursuit tracking (if I remember correctly) but I don't recall that one.

Worth a read.

 

[Marco]

I need to re-read the paper that @Kyla referenced but this stood out from the discussion :

Patients with ME/CFS often report that they experience difficulty suppressing irrelevant background information. This was confirmed by their significantly worse performance, relative to controls, on the selective attention UFOV subtest. One of the strengths of the UFOV is that it has repeatedly been shown to be a robust measure of visual attention—sensitive to even small changes in attentional capacity.

 

[Forbin]

Interesting. I've experienced a lot of visual problems which are no doubt related to dizziness, but more specifically to the two eyes not working together - both on a physical level and on the level where the left and right images are "fused" in the brain (which could account for the distortions described in the abstract above).

One effect of this difficulty is an intolerance for polarized glasses (or polarized sunglasses), due to the fact that the polarization creates a slightly different pattern of "brightness" and "highlights" for each eye which the brain must then try to combine (just as it has to "fuse" the left and right images from the eyes into a single 3D view.)

Just curious if anyone else has ever noticed such an intolerance for polarized glasses?

 

[Scarecrow]

@Forbin, I've never worn polarised glasses but I relate to the left and right eye not working together. Twenty five years on, it still feels weird.

 

[leela]

Just curious if anyone else has ever noticed such an intolerance for polarized glasses?

I have this. Can't do polarized glasses at all. Or progressive lenses. And sometimes, I can't even look at a black and white checker-tile floor without feeling a bit sick.

 

[Forbin]

I have this. Can't do polarized glasses at all. Or progressive lenses. And sometimes, I can't even look at a black and white checker-tile floor without feeling a bit sick.

I definitely relate to that. Any repeating pattern in a floor covering disturbs me. My local library put in a repeating pattern on their huge floor a few years ago and it became very difficult to go in there.

For me, one of the worst things is the pattern of vertical groves on an escalator's moving steps. For my height, they are just at the right distance from my eyes so as to make it difficult to figure out how to "converge" on the repetitious pattern - and you do pretty much have to look down to ensure you're on the step.

 

[MeSci]

I have this. Can't do polarized glasses at all. Or progressive lenses. And sometimes, I can't even look at a black and white checker-tile floor without feeling a bit sick.

I don't know re polarised lenses, but I tried some varifocal lenses briefly (not sure if this is the same as progressive) at the opticians and couldn't cope with them - made me disorientated, I think. I seem to be fine with bifocals, although I think I was slightly disorientated at first.

 

[MeSci]

I definitely relate to that. Any repeating pattern in a floor covering disturbs me. My local library put in a repeating pattern on their huge floor a few years ago and it became very difficult to go in there.

For me, one of the worst things is the pattern of vertical groves on an escalator's moving steps. For my height, they are just at the right distance from my eyes so as to make it difficult to figure out how to "converge" on the repetitious pattern - and you do pretty much have to look down to ensure you're on the step.

I have to look at my feet whatever the ground surface; otherwise my feet/legs don't know where they are in relation to the ground. This is only since I have had ME, and I learned the lesson a fairly hard way, after having falls on stairs and steps.

 

[Rrrr]

Interesting. I've experienced a lot of visual problems which are no doubt related to dizziness, but more specifically to the two eyes not working together - both on a physical level and on the level where the left and right images are "fused" in the brain (which could account for the distortions described in the abstract above).

One effect of this difficulty is an intolerance for polarized glasses (or polarized sunglasses), due to the fact that the polarization creates a slightly different pattern of "brightness" and "highlights" for each eye which the brain must then try to combine (just as it has to "fuse" the left and right images from the eyes into a single 3D view.)

Just curious if anyone else has ever noticed such an intolerance for polarized glasses?

@Forbin wow. thank you for posting this. i have real trouble finding sun glasses that don't make my brain and vision go wacky. so this must be why. thank you for writing this!

 

[Rrrr]

I have this. Can't do polarized glasses at all. Or progressive lenses. And sometimes, I can't even look at a black and white checker-tile floor without feeling a bit sick.

exactly. as soon as i had ME onset (decades ago), i stopped wearing any clothes with patterns and only wear solid colored clothes. and i have asked my partner to do the same. i can't stand looking at checkers or any patterns.

 

[LisaGoddard]

Patterns confuse my brain too.