http://www.mdpi.com/2411-5150/2/1/2 Restricted Spatial Windows of Visibility in Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME) Nadia S. Ahmed, Irene Gottlob, Frank A. Proudlock and Claire V. Hutchinson * Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Life Sciences, University of Leicester, Leicester LE1 7RH, UK Received: 22 November 2017 / Accepted: 11 January 2018 / Published: 17 January 2018 Abstract Myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) is a devastating disorder marked by debilitating fatigue. It not well understood and its diagnosis is controversial. It is very important therefore that significant clinical features are investigated. Visual symptoms in ME represent a group of distinct, quantifiable, clinical features that could significantly improve diagnosis and provide insights into underlying pathology. The purpose of the present study was therefore to explore the effect of ME on spatial windows of visibility using the spatial contrast sensitivity function. Contrast sensitivity was determined for stationary luminance-defined sinusoidal gratings spanning a five-octave range of spatial frequencies (0.5 to 16 c/deg) in a group of 19 individuals with ME and a group of 19 matched (age, gender) controls. Compared to controls, the ME group exhibited a restricted spatial window of visibility for encoding stimulus contrast. This was characterised principally by a contrast sensitivity deficit at lower spatial frequencies and a narrower bandwidth. Our findings suggest that contrast sensitivity deficits may represent a visual marker of ME, and be indicative of abnormal visual processing at the level of the retina and in the cortical and subcortical visual pathways. Full-Text - http://www.mdpi.com/2411-5150/2/1/2/htm
Thanks for posting Daisymay. I've just edited it to make the text the normal size and put a few line breaks in the abstract to make it easier to read.
Interesting, not heard of them before. Both of them are concerned with sight loss, I wonder why the interest in sight issues in ME.
Visual disturbances were amongst my earliest symptoms. I assume they are connected to OI and lack of oxygen?
My eyesight is still bad. Pupilreflex still does not work well and contrast kept going downhill. The more I try to focus the worse it gets.
I can't see moving images as it is processing within the brain that is the problem, not fast enough for tracking. Double vision has plagued me since the start and I have had episodes of blindness (which may be MS) Bright lights also close down my vision for hours. It is time that more work was done on the vision problems we have. I can cope with the wheelchair, not being able to do things for myself, even the pain carries some possibility of relief but I am completely helpless when I am blind. I do not know how people cope.
A possible objectively measured marker? The references to other research into sight issues was interesting to note as I wasn't aware of it before. I hope my optician knows this stuff. Snippets I thought were interesting: People with ME report a range of visual issues. Many more are mentioned here than I was aware of. Like people with ME, MS patients exhibit a wide range of visual symptoms. There was also a discussion of the limited utility of the method used in this study for clinical settings; and also of other the usefulness of other methods. I thought this was really interesting.
I am interested in sight issues as well as I suffer from strong eye pain and eye sight degradation over the last 4 years or so. The visual issues may be nonspecific and associated with fatigue in general, but it shows that our fatigue has physical effects and is not merely a mistaken signal to be ignored, nor is it merely a muscular problem due to deconditioning.
The reference to increased susceptibility to "pattern-glare" interested me because I'd had not seen that term used in connection with ME before. When I went looking for examples of pattern glare, I found the image below, here. This kind of pattern, seen in the real world, would drive me up the wall when my symptoms were severe. This is an interesting paper. The people who wrote it seem unusually well informed about ME.