Visual Snow Initiative

Join us TODAY for our Visual Snow Syndrome Support Group @ 2:00 PM (EST)! 💬

📅 Don’t forget to mark your calendar for future sessions:
Every first Wednesday of the month at 8:00 PM EST
Every third Tuesday of the month at 2:00 PM EST

This peer-moderated virtual group provides supportive face-to-face conversations, friendly and relatable connections, emotional encouragement, and a safe space to share experiences. (Note: This group is not for medical advice. Please follow the guidelines.)

👉 Join here: https://www.gotomeet.me/ancanschmier

We hope to see you there! 🩵

Did you know the first documented mention of visual snow appeared in the medical literature over 80 years ago?

🗓️ In 1944, Dr. Frank D. Carroll described patients experiencing persistent visual disturbances, including “snowy vision,” flashing and flickering lights, colored floaters, and other visual phenomena. Although their eye examinations were normal, he proposed that these symptoms originated in the brain rather than the eyes.
This early report marked the beginning of what would eventually become our understanding of Visual Snow Syndrome.

Explore our new Timeline of Visual Snow Syndrome and the Visual Snow Initiative to discover the history of VSS and the key milestones in research, advocacy, recognition, and awareness that have shaped the field over the decades.

https://www.visualsnowinitiative.org/vss-timeline/

A new review in Cephalalgia, “Visual Snow vs. Migraine Aura: Debate Summary and Novel Insights into the Syndrome,” reinforces growing evidence that Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS) is a distinct neurological disorder, not simply a form of migraine aura.

🔬 After reviewing clinical, neuroimaging, and neurophysiological studies, researchers found that while VSS and migraine with aura share some overlapping features, they have different underlying neurological mechanisms.

Key findings include:
🧠 VSS is persistent, while migraine aura is episodic.

🔬 Brain imaging studies show that VSS involves abnormalities in the visual, attentional, and salience networks, supporting the view of VSS as a network disorder.

⚡ VSS appears to involve impaired sensory filtering, allowing normally insignificant visual information to remain in conscious awareness.

🧬 Researchers also identified VSS-specific glutamatergic differences, which may help guide future biomarker discovery and targeted treatment development.

These findings were also presented by Dr. Francesca Puledda, Dr. Christoph Schankin, and Dr. Peter Goadsby at the International Headache Congress (IHC) 2025 in São Paulo, Brazil.

As research continues to advance, studies like this are improving our understanding of Visual Snow Syndrome and helping pave the way toward more effective, targeted treatments.

🔗 Read the full research review below:

https://www.visualsnowinitiative.org/research/visual-snow-syndrome-and-migraine-aura-new-research-highlights-their-important-differences/

🧠 Our latest article explores the neuroscience of Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS).

What roles do glutamate, GABA, serotonin, stress, and neuroplasticity play in VSS?

The article breaks down current research on how changes in brain chemistry and sensory processing may contribute to VSS symptoms, why symptoms can fluctuate over time, and how these discoveries are helping guide future treatment research.

🔗 Learn more and read the full article via the following link:
https://www.visualsnowinitiative.org/research/visual-snow-syndrome-exploring-how-physical-and-mental-stress-trauma-and-brain-chemistry-can-affect-vss-through-a-neuroscience-lens/

🏫💙 Living with Visual Snow Syndrome can make school, work, and everyday tasks more challenging, but the right accommodations can make a meaningful difference.

Our newest article explores practical classroom and workplace accommodations for individuals with Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS), along with simple ways family members, teachers, employers, and coworkers can provide support.

The article also covers strategies for self-advocacy, including how to communicate your needs, request accommodations, and use trusted resources from the Visual Snow Initiative (VSI), such as the Diagnostic Criteria, ICD Codes, Doctor Directory, scientific research, and the VSS Simulator, to help others better understand the condition.

Whether you’re living with VSS, supporting a loved one, or learning more about the condition, this
article offers practical tips to help create more comfortable, accessible, and supportive
environments.

📖 Read the full article below

https://www.visualsnowinitiative.org/education/classroom-and-workplace-accommodations-for-visual-snow-syndrome/

Dr. Francesca Puledda, researcher at King’s College London and Visual Snow Initiative (VSI) collaborator, delivered a keynote lecture at the 2026 European Neuro-Ophthalmology Society (EUNOS) Meeting in Milan, Italy. 🇮🇹

🔬 The EUNOS Meeting is one of the world’s leading conferences in neuro-ophthalmology, bringing together neurologists, neuro-ophthalmologists, vision scientists, researchers, and healthcare professionals from around the globe to share the latest scientific discoveries and advance the understanding and treatment of neurological conditions that affect vision.

👩‍⚕️👨‍⚕️ Speaking to an audience of approximately 500 international neurologists, researchers, clinicians, and healthcare professionals, Dr. Puledda presented “Visual Snow Syndrome: From Phenomenology to Pathophysiology and Prospects for Treatment,” a comprehensive overview of the latest advances in Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS) research. Her keynote covered the clinical features and diagnosis of VSS, discoveries from neuroimaging and neurophysiological studies, and promising treatment approaches currently being investigated, including pharmacological and neuromodulation clinical trials.

🤝 Presented alongside leading VSS researchers, including Professor Christoph Schankin, the dedicated session reflected the growing international recognition of Visual Snow Syndrome as a distinct neurological disorder and the increasing global commitment to advancing research and developing effective treatments.

🌍🔬 Since founding the Visual Snow Initiative (VSI), Sierra Domb has worked to bring together patients, neurologists, researchers, and healthcare professionals from around the world to advance research, education, resources, and progress toward effective treatments for Visual Snow Syndrome (VSS).

As Sierra transitions to her new role as Founder Emeritus, our latest article features reflections from Dr. Owen White, Dr. Joanne Fielding, and Dr. Christoph Schankin on Sierra’s advocacy, leadership, and the lasting impact of her work through the Visual Snow Initiative.

Their statements highlight how Sierra’s vision helped unite the global Visual Snow Syndrome community, foster international collaboration among leading researchers and clinicians, expand awareness and educational resources, and accelerate scientific progress toward a better understanding of VSS and future treatments.

📖 Read the full article through the link below

https://www.visualsnowinitiative.org/research/sierra-domb-neurologists-discuss-her-impact-on-advancing-visual-snow-syndrome-research-awareness-and-resources/