Charles Bonnet syndrome: This is why multidisciplinary collaboration is important
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The article with the title “Vision Rehabilitation for Visual Symptoms and Hallucinations: It’s Not All About Charles Bonnet Syndrome” has just been published in the journal Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness. The article was written by Sigrid Midtbø Storkås, Cathrine Timm Sundin and Line Kristin Gundersen Hovland and is based on work they have carried out on Eikholt.
Not all visual hallucinations in people with visual impairment are Charles Bonnet syndrome
The article describes how thorough assessment and multidisciplinary rehabilitation can improve the daily lives of people who experience visual hallucinations and other visual disorders. The main message is that not all visual symptoms in people with visual loss are due to Charles Bonnet syndrome, and that professionals must therefore thoroughly investigate the symptoms.
What is Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS)?
Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) Is a condition in which people with visual impairment can experience visual hallucinations without having a mental illness. The hallucinations can be simple, such as flashes of light and patterns, or more complex, such as people, animals, or entire landscapes. Many are unaware of the syndrome, and therefore some may be concerned that the symptoms are due to a mental illness.
About the person in the study
The article follows a man in his 20s with Usher 1, Norwegian:, an inherited condition that causes both hearing and visual impairment. He had been diagnosed with CBS earlier, but also experienced other visual problems:
- flashes of light (photopsias)
- black dots and moving light phenomena
- blending
- problems adapting to changing lighting conditions
- night blindness
- fatigue and difficulty concentrating associated with the visual problems
The symptoms affected both communication, orientation, and participation in daily life.
An important discovery
When the young man came to the Eikholt National Resource Center for the Deafblind, the professionals discovered that he largely perceived all his visual disturbances as CBS hallucinations.
Through conversations and investigations, it became clear that he had several different symptoms with different causes. An important part of the rehabilitation therefore involved developing a common language and a common understanding of the symptoms.
Action from an interdisciplinary team
The man received help from a multidisciplinary team consisting of an optometrist, a communication consultant, and a specialist in mobility and visual rehabilitation. He received, among other things:
- Better vision correction through contact lenses
- testing of custom-made colored filters in glasses
- information about the eye disease and about Charles Bonnet syndrome
- advice on how he could manage symptoms in everyday life
Results of the measures
The man reported back at his next visits to Eikholt the clinic that the contact lenses made him see more clearly and made him less tired during the day. He also found that the specially adapted filter glasses were very helpful in everyday life. He further reported, among other things:
- less glare and other visual disturbances
- less glare
- better concentration and less need for breaks
- better balance and body control
- greater social participation
Interestingly, the measures did not affect the CBS hallucinations themselves. These remained roughly unchanged.
Why is this study important?
The study shows that people with visual impairment may have several different visual symptoms at the same time. If everything is interpreted as CBS, the possibility of intervention may be overlooked. Relatively simple interventions contributed to improving the young man's quality of life. Through the rehabilitation process, he received:
- Increased knowledge about both the eye disease and the various visual impairments he experienced
- Contact lenses that reduced fatigue
- colored filters in glasses that led to a reduction in visual disturbances
Six months after the interventions, he reported that the reduced visual disturbances made communication easier and contributed to greater participation in daily life activities. Overall, he experienced less energy use, better endurance, and an easier everyday life despite the fact that his CBS symptoms remained unchanged. He also reported lower stress levels, better concentration, and increased motivation.
The authors of the article emphasize the importance of thorough assessment, good communication between the patient and healthcare professionals, and multidisciplinary follow-up.
Would you like to read the entire study?
The study can be read in its entirety here (behind a paywall): Vision Rehabilitation for Visual Symptoms and Hallucinations: It’s Not All About Charles Bonnet Syndrome
Authors: Sigrid Midtbø Storkås, Cathrine Timm Sundin, Line Kristin Gundersen Hovland, 2026
Published: Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 2026, p. 120(5), 533-543
DOI: 10.1177/0145482X261488827
To create a Norwegian summary of the research article, we used artificial intelligence (AI) in the writing process. The original article (Storkås et al., 2026) has been checked for quality assurance purposes.
Do you have any questions?
Contact Kari Jokstad by email: kari.jokstad@eikholt.no
