The optic nerve in ME/CFS

[Jonathan Edwards]

To be. honest I am not sure what conclusions can be drawn from the mouse paper. Real neural network activity does not survive experiments like that much.

 

[Braganca]

To be. honest I am not sure what conclusions can be drawn from the mouse paper. Real neural network activity does not survive experiments like that much.

Ok.. thanks for having a look at it.

 

[AliceLily]

Like most of the brain, it does not sense its own condition but carries signals from receptors sensing things elsewhere.

I see, I think. It is the receptors and what goes on there where normal signaling goes out or there is a change at the receptors where abnormal signaling has occurred sending out abnormal response. So I am feeling things from the signals at the receptors.

 

[AliceLily]

I had some crashes that I assume relate to something weird going on in the optics system:
- being a passenger in a car, just looking outside at the fast moving objects —> instant crash
- standing up, staring (very focused!) at a point at the ceiling 180° up, then staring at a point at the ground 180° down, then staring at the point on ceiling 180° up again—> instant crash.

I can't take fast moving either. T.V programmes that move from frame to frame at speed I have to change channel. I have been tempted in the past to ring and complain that I am being insulted. Lol. It's not funny though when it has a terrible impact. I never complained but I wanted to. I couldn't even adjust my focus on one frame before then next frame appeared and it would go on for over 10 frames in a row.

 

[AliceLily]

I don't exaclty know what you mean by difficulty walking down steep stairs, but this does not immediately strike me as an issue with vision or the optic nerve. This is much more likely to be a neurological problem with assimilating different sensory data, and proprioception. There are some interesting discussions here about proprioception.

There is one particular set of steep stairs in my local suburb, a local coffee shop that I could not walk down in my severest years. Luckily there was a ramp to go down. It shocked me that I could not go down them. I revisited that same place a few years ago and looked at those stairs and felt I could go down them now. I did holding on to the rail. As I walked down the memory of my sickest years were vivid and I remembered just how it had felt to me back then. Again, as I often mention in my posts I never ever want to experience those years again.

I still have some difficulty with stairs and escalators. I have to focus my eyes at a point straight ahead and not look down or around. Keeping my head and eyes straight ahead.

 

[AliceLily]

What’s broken is the way my brain is interpreting the visual information. My vision is like being in a dream or stoned.

This is very much me too. I feel like I have been stunned. There is a feeling of slowness in processing. I have to be careful crossing a road. I have to be sure again and again that it is clear to cross. The reason for this is that I can't turn my head too quickly and I don't feel like I am as quick to pick up all the information I am seeing and need to see for safe crossing