Visual Snow Initiative
Collaborate, Educate, and Cure
Visual Snow Syndrome is a neurological condition that impacts an individual’s vision, hearing, and quality of life. Patients see flashing lights, flickering dots, and static, which obstruct their visual field 24/7. There is no relief for them, even when their eyes are closed. It causes many other debilitating visual & non-visual symptoms.
Once thought to be rare, Visual Snow affects an estimated 2-3% of the world’s population. The VSI has already heard from people in over 83 countries (and counting!) The medical community and public still need to be informed, and patients deserve resources/treatments. Our goal is to help those with Visual Snow enjoy their life without fear. They need your help. Together, we can find solutions!
In Case You Missed It: VSI Virtual Summit 2022
The Visual Snow Initiative invites you to learn about the Tsang/Shidlofsky Visual Snow Protocol and the latest advancements in treating Visual Snow Syndrome in this free virtual event.
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Help fund research for treatments and find a cure for Visual Snow!
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Find out about how this sight-altering brain disorder impacts thousands of people worldwide!
MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Join the movement and raise awareness for Visual Snow!
The Important Condition You Probably Haven’t Heard of
What is Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS)?
YOUR DONATIONS COUNT
Fundraising & Research
VSI Raises $140,000 for Visual Snow Research at Monash University
VSI Raises $140,000 for Visual Snow Research at Monash University
VSI Raises $100,000 for Visual Snow Research at Kings College London
VSI Raises $100,000 for Visual Snow Research at Kings College London
VSI Raises $125,000 for Visual Snow Research at University of Colorado
VSI Raises $125,000 for Visual Snow Research at University of Colorado
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Latest Updates
VSI News
VSI’s Response to Recent Opinion Piece About VSS Researchers & Patients
Daniel Kondziella’s recent opinion piece, “Visual Snow Syndrome and the emperor's new clothes”, is as confounding as it is irresponsible. The author states “every now and then, I see a person with Visual Snow Syndrome”. Evidently and self-admittedly, he has limited...
Statement from Monash VSS / Response to Opinion Piece
Prof Owen B White MD, PhD, FNANOS, FRACP A/Prof Joanne Fielding PhD Co-Directors Ocular Motor Research Laboratory Monash University, Central Clinical School Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences To the VSI community We at Monash continue to...
VSI-Funded Monash Study: “Microstructure in Patients with Visual Snow Syndrome: An Ultra-High Field Morphological and Quantitative MRI Study”
Check out the Monash team's full study, funded by the Visual Snow Initiative, in Brain Communications: https://doi.org/10.1093/braincomms/fcac164 Article/Study Title "Microstructure in patients with visual snow syndrome: an ultra-high field morphological and...
The Origin of VSI
The Cure of Understanding
The Visual Snow Initiative (VSI) is an extension of the Visual Snow Conference, which was held on May 5th, 2018 at UCSF. The Visual Snow Conference was established to shine a light on Visual Snow Syndrome by raising awareness, providing education, and fostering understanding for those whose lives are directly affected by this medical condition. Footage of the entire event is available for free on our website.
Our Purpose
Why We Have to Help
The term, “Visual Snow”, may sound harmless; but this medical condition is life-altering and can be frightening. Compared to everyone around them, people with Visual Snow Syndrome see the world very differently.
Without warning or cause, patients are forced to view life through a constant overlay of static with thousands of tiny moving dots and lights covering their entire visual field. (This is comparable to trying to see in the middle of a dense, severe snowstorm; hence, the name). They are also subjected to other disturbing imagery, ranging from palinopsia to extreme light sensitivity.
Beyond being bothersome and alarming, all of these symptoms can make daily tasks exhausting or impossible. Moreover, symptoms last 24/7, whether the patient’s eyes are open or closed. Visual Snow does not discriminate; it affects thousands of people of all ages around the world from different walks of life.
Research indicates that Visual Snow Syndrome is a neurological condition, meaning the problem originates in the brain, not the eyes. (A.K.A. Its genesis is in the brain, but it affects the eyes.) This would explain why ophthalmological/optometric tests (eye exams) come back “normal” for patients with Visual Snow and why it is so difficult for doctors to diagnose.
Awareness and knowledge about Visual Snow Syndrome must replace unnecessary and invasive medical testing. For many, Visual Snow can be traumatic and isolating. The Visual Snow Initiative (VSI) is dedicated to further understanding this condition and working on a potential treatment/cure for it.
We often take the ability to see our world clearly for granted; those with Visual Snow do not have this luxury.
“I was determined not to let Visual Snow stifle my ambition. I did not want this circumstance to turn me into a person I wasn’t.”
Sierra Domb, Founder
Spread the Word
Support the Cause,
Change Lives for the Better!
Let’s work together to raise awareness and education for Visual Snow Syndrome within the medical community and amongst the public! Once both of these are firmly established, then we can get closer to solutions and importantly, a cure for those who need it most.
