Charles Bonnet Syndrome in the Clinic of Mental Disorders

Abstract

The aim was to analyze scientific publications on Charles Bonnet syndrome in patients with visual impairment. Materials and methods: using the keywords “Charles Bonnet syndrome” (CSB), “blindness”, “hallucinations”, articles were searched in the databases MEDLINE/PubMed, sciencedirect.com, Scopus. Conclusion: Charles Bonnet syndrome is characterized by the presence of complex visual hallucinations, triggered by vision deprivation in the absence of neurological, psychiatric, and/or systemic disorders. The patient usually perceives the hallucinations as not real, which reduces anxiety, although the content, duration, and frequency are variable. Charles Bonnet syndrome can be associated with age-related entities such as enucleation, optic neuritis, diabetic retinopathy, macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma, among others. Accordingly, its prevalence is relatively high in geriatric patients. CBS is very common, but the pathophysiology of hallucinations and treatments are currently unknown. Our goal is to inform doctors about this syndrome.